BOMB PARTS 'MAY HAVE BEEN ALTERED'
Bomb Parts 'may have been altered'
Officer questioned on contamination of items taken from scene
BY PAUL HIGGINS
A FORMER Army major in the bomb squad yesterday conceded that bomb parts may have been "forensically altered".
Giving evidence at the Belfast Crown Court trial of alleged Omagh bomber Sean Hoey, Mr Jonathon Whitaker told the court that Ammunition Technical Officers who attended the scene of a 250-kilo car bomb in Lisburn eight years ago did not record putting tape on to component parts of the bomb.
Questioned by trial judge Mr Justice Weir, the former major admitted that it had been normal practice for bomb-squad officers to use heavy-duty tape to "secure" parts of a bomb which they had made safe.
In relation to the car bomb uncovered on Lisburn's Market Square on April 30,1998, Mr Whitaker also admitted that in the ATO report of the incident, there was no record of the alteration made before the items were handed over to scenes of crime officers.
He told the judge that although there are no written instructions for ATOs to use tape on bombs they make safe, "these instructions are within the training and safety procedures" when dealing with electric detonators.
Mr Whitaker also admitted that in photographs taken at the scene of the timer power unit and the lunchbox it was in, there is no tape.
However, in other pictures taken of the same items three years later in a forensic lab in Birmingham, tape has been fixed on to the box lid and TPU.
The former Army officer told the judge he assumed the ATO who dealt with the bomb had put it there "once he removed the items from the vehicle".
Under re-examination from defence QC Orlando Pownall, Mr Whitaker conceded that "it would be rather annoying to put tape over a finger print, thereby ruining potential evidence".
Later, Peter Midgely, a scenes of crime officer, told the court that had the ATO told him he had put tape on to the TPU, he would have noted it.
He also confirmed to the defence lawyer that the tape which appears on the lunchbox lid in 2001, was not on it when he bagged and sealed the item at the scene of the bomb three years earlier.
Mr Pownall put to him: "You can offer no explanation to the court as to why it is there in the later photograph" and was told: "No, I can't state how it got there."
In addition to the murder of the 29 people killed in the blast, including Avril Monaghan, whose unborn twins died with her, 36-year-old south Armagh electrician Hoey faces a multitude of other terrorist charges.
He is charged with and denies 58 charges, relating not only to the Omagh bomb atrocity, but to six other murder conspiracies, five bombings, four bomb conspiracies, and the possession of explosives including timer power units, mortar bombs and bombs.
The victims of the Omagh bombing on the afternoon of August 15 1998 were: Avril Ann Monaghan, her 18-month-old daughter Maura Teresa Monaghan, and mother, Mary Grimes; Frederick Thomas White, his son Bryan Albert White; Brenda Mary Logue; Gareth Neil Conway; Alan Radford; Lorraine Anne Wilson; Elizabeth Amelda Rush; Elizabeth Olive Hawkes; Ann Isobella McCombe; Philomena Alice Skelton; Oran Michael Doherty; Adrian Michael Gallagher; Jolene Briege Marlow; Esther Nora Gibson; Brian McCrory; Debra-Ann Cartwright; Julia Victoria Hughes; Sean Anthony McLaughlin; James Victor Barker; Samantha McFarland; Breda Catherine Devine; Veda Elizabeth Short; Geraldine Breslin; John Joseph McGrath, and Spanish tourists 23-year-old Rocio Abad Ramos and 12-year-old Fernando Blasco Baselga, who were on a day-trip from Donegal to the Co Tyrone town.
Hoey denies their murders and to causing the bombing and to possessing explosives namely a timer power unit between March 3, 1997 and August 16,1998.
The six murder conspiracies against members of the security forces were allegedly planned for Blackwatertown Road, Armagh, between May 19 and July 11, 1998; Altmore Forest, Dungannon, between April 10 and 13, 2001; The G30 Military Base, Crossmaglen, and Forkhill RUC/Army Base, both on March 24, 1998; Belleek RUC Station, May 9,1998, and Newry RUC Station, July 21,1998.
Hoey also denies and is charged with possessing bomb timer power units and causing mortar bomb explosions at, Crossmaglen, Forkhill, Belleek and Newry RUC Station.
He is also accused of causing explosions at Banbridge on August 1,1998, and Finaghy halt Railway Station on May 24,1998 and with conspiring to cause explosions, and possession of explosives, at Blackwaterstown Road, Armagh and at Market Street, Lisburn, between March 11 and May 1,1998, and Newry Courthouse between march 3 and July 14,1998.
A scenes of crime officer was questioned yesterday about the possible contamination of items taken from the scene of the car bomb in Lisburn.
Michael Hannigan was asked by Mr Justice Weir whether in 1998 there was "any thought given to the possibility of contamination between items" at the scene of bomb alerts before they were bagged.
Under cross-examination by Mr Pownall QC, the officer agreed that items taken from Lisburn were found "not packaged, lying next to each other with nothing separating one from the other" in a storeroom.
When questioned about the possibility of DNA contamination, Mr Hannigan told the court: "In 1998, DNA was something that we didn't come across."
He also told the judge that in present circumstances, all scenes of crime officers wear protective clothing to ensure there is ho contamination resulting in mixed DNA profiles on items and evidence taken from crime scenes.
And referring to the earlier issue regarding insulating tape appearing on the timer power unit and lunchbox lid seized from inside the car, Mr Hannigan told Mr Justice Weir he would not open "at any stage" a bag which had been sealed at the scene.
The judge asked him: "Would it always remain sealed continuously from the moment of sealing to the moment of delivery to a forensics lab or wherever?" and was told: "Yes, always."
The trial resumes today.
Officer questioned on contamination of items taken from scene
BY PAUL HIGGINS
A FORMER Army major in the bomb squad yesterday conceded that bomb parts may have been "forensically altered".
Giving evidence at the Belfast Crown Court trial of alleged Omagh bomber Sean Hoey, Mr Jonathon Whitaker told the court that Ammunition Technical Officers who attended the scene of a 250-kilo car bomb in Lisburn eight years ago did not record putting tape on to component parts of the bomb.
Questioned by trial judge Mr Justice Weir, the former major admitted that it had been normal practice for bomb-squad officers to use heavy-duty tape to "secure" parts of a bomb which they had made safe.
In relation to the car bomb uncovered on Lisburn's Market Square on April 30,1998, Mr Whitaker also admitted that in the ATO report of the incident, there was no record of the alteration made before the items were handed over to scenes of crime officers.
He told the judge that although there are no written instructions for ATOs to use tape on bombs they make safe, "these instructions are within the training and safety procedures" when dealing with electric detonators.
Mr Whitaker also admitted that in photographs taken at the scene of the timer power unit and the lunchbox it was in, there is no tape.
However, in other pictures taken of the same items three years later in a forensic lab in Birmingham, tape has been fixed on to the box lid and TPU.
The former Army officer told the judge he assumed the ATO who dealt with the bomb had put it there "once he removed the items from the vehicle".
Under re-examination from defence QC Orlando Pownall, Mr Whitaker conceded that "it would be rather annoying to put tape over a finger print, thereby ruining potential evidence".
Later, Peter Midgely, a scenes of crime officer, told the court that had the ATO told him he had put tape on to the TPU, he would have noted it.
He also confirmed to the defence lawyer that the tape which appears on the lunchbox lid in 2001, was not on it when he bagged and sealed the item at the scene of the bomb three years earlier.
Mr Pownall put to him: "You can offer no explanation to the court as to why it is there in the later photograph" and was told: "No, I can't state how it got there."
In addition to the murder of the 29 people killed in the blast, including Avril Monaghan, whose unborn twins died with her, 36-year-old south Armagh electrician Hoey faces a multitude of other terrorist charges.
He is charged with and denies 58 charges, relating not only to the Omagh bomb atrocity, but to six other murder conspiracies, five bombings, four bomb conspiracies, and the possession of explosives including timer power units, mortar bombs and bombs.
The victims of the Omagh bombing on the afternoon of August 15 1998 were: Avril Ann Monaghan, her 18-month-old daughter Maura Teresa Monaghan, and mother, Mary Grimes; Frederick Thomas White, his son Bryan Albert White; Brenda Mary Logue; Gareth Neil Conway; Alan Radford; Lorraine Anne Wilson; Elizabeth Amelda Rush; Elizabeth Olive Hawkes; Ann Isobella McCombe; Philomena Alice Skelton; Oran Michael Doherty; Adrian Michael Gallagher; Jolene Briege Marlow; Esther Nora Gibson; Brian McCrory; Debra-Ann Cartwright; Julia Victoria Hughes; Sean Anthony McLaughlin; James Victor Barker; Samantha McFarland; Breda Catherine Devine; Veda Elizabeth Short; Geraldine Breslin; John Joseph McGrath, and Spanish tourists 23-year-old Rocio Abad Ramos and 12-year-old Fernando Blasco Baselga, who were on a day-trip from Donegal to the Co Tyrone town.
Hoey denies their murders and to causing the bombing and to possessing explosives namely a timer power unit between March 3, 1997 and August 16,1998.
The six murder conspiracies against members of the security forces were allegedly planned for Blackwatertown Road, Armagh, between May 19 and July 11, 1998; Altmore Forest, Dungannon, between April 10 and 13, 2001; The G30 Military Base, Crossmaglen, and Forkhill RUC/Army Base, both on March 24, 1998; Belleek RUC Station, May 9,1998, and Newry RUC Station, July 21,1998.
Hoey also denies and is charged with possessing bomb timer power units and causing mortar bomb explosions at, Crossmaglen, Forkhill, Belleek and Newry RUC Station.
He is also accused of causing explosions at Banbridge on August 1,1998, and Finaghy halt Railway Station on May 24,1998 and with conspiring to cause explosions, and possession of explosives, at Blackwaterstown Road, Armagh and at Market Street, Lisburn, between March 11 and May 1,1998, and Newry Courthouse between march 3 and July 14,1998.
A scenes of crime officer was questioned yesterday about the possible contamination of items taken from the scene of the car bomb in Lisburn.
Michael Hannigan was asked by Mr Justice Weir whether in 1998 there was "any thought given to the possibility of contamination between items" at the scene of bomb alerts before they were bagged.
Under cross-examination by Mr Pownall QC, the officer agreed that items taken from Lisburn were found "not packaged, lying next to each other with nothing separating one from the other" in a storeroom.
When questioned about the possibility of DNA contamination, Mr Hannigan told the court: "In 1998, DNA was something that we didn't come across."
He also told the judge that in present circumstances, all scenes of crime officers wear protective clothing to ensure there is ho contamination resulting in mixed DNA profiles on items and evidence taken from crime scenes.
And referring to the earlier issue regarding insulating tape appearing on the timer power unit and lunchbox lid seized from inside the car, Mr Hannigan told Mr Justice Weir he would not open "at any stage" a bag which had been sealed at the scene.
The judge asked him: "Would it always remain sealed continuously from the moment of sealing to the moment of delivery to a forensics lab or wherever?" and was told: "Yes, always."
The trial resumes today.
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/665
Published Date: 29-Sep-06
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.