JUDGE IN OMAGH BOMB TRIAL DEFENDS COMMENTS
Judge in Omagh bomb trial defends comments
BY RONAN McSHERRY
THE Judge who presided over the Omagh bomb trial has refuted accusations from former chief constables that he 'indulged in speculation' when making his closing comments at the case.
Mr Justice Weir was responding to criticism of his handling of the Sean Hoey trial in a report commissioned by the Policing Board. Mr Hoey was acquitted of the murders of the 29 people killed in the Real IRA attack in 1998. Unborn twins also died in the blast while hundreds of people were injured.
While delivering his damning verdict at the end of the trial last December the Crown Court Judge was scathing of police evidence given under oath and said the officers were guilty of a 'deliberate and calculated deception.' Two police officers were accused in the trial by defence lawyers of having 'beefed up' statements, a term that was taken up later by the judge.
However Sir Dan Crompton and David Blakey, both former chief constables, along with Graham Shaw BA, who were appointed to examine issues arising from the judgement, stated in their report, "We have seldom seen more caustic criticism of police evidence since the officers were, in effect, branded as liars and their evidence declared totally unreliable. For a senior Judge to 'throw out' all charges, partly on what he saw as discreditable police scientific evidence is a matter of profound concern. This was bound to be exacerbated in the public mind by the abnormally critical nature of his written judgement and the publicity it attracted."
They also they took issue with the part of the judgement which said others involved in the investigation and preparation of the case may have been involved in the deliberate and calculated deception.
Mr Justice Weir has reacted by stating he merely raised concerns, and it was up to law enforcement agencies to investigate.
A statement issued through the office of the Lord Chief Justice Sir Brian Kerr said that Mr Justice Weir "considered that the nature of the evidence given by the two individuals he identified in the judgement raised the possibility of the involvement of others."
Sir Brian said the trial judge "did not speculate that others were involved, much less who such others might be. He registered his concern that others may have been involved and he has left it to other agencies to investigated and determine whether that is the case."
A lawyer for Sean Hoey said he 'had no problem with the judge's comments.'
BY RONAN McSHERRY
THE Judge who presided over the Omagh bomb trial has refuted accusations from former chief constables that he 'indulged in speculation' when making his closing comments at the case.
Mr Justice Weir was responding to criticism of his handling of the Sean Hoey trial in a report commissioned by the Policing Board. Mr Hoey was acquitted of the murders of the 29 people killed in the Real IRA attack in 1998. Unborn twins also died in the blast while hundreds of people were injured.
While delivering his damning verdict at the end of the trial last December the Crown Court Judge was scathing of police evidence given under oath and said the officers were guilty of a 'deliberate and calculated deception.' Two police officers were accused in the trial by defence lawyers of having 'beefed up' statements, a term that was taken up later by the judge.
However Sir Dan Crompton and David Blakey, both former chief constables, along with Graham Shaw BA, who were appointed to examine issues arising from the judgement, stated in their report, "We have seldom seen more caustic criticism of police evidence since the officers were, in effect, branded as liars and their evidence declared totally unreliable. For a senior Judge to 'throw out' all charges, partly on what he saw as discreditable police scientific evidence is a matter of profound concern. This was bound to be exacerbated in the public mind by the abnormally critical nature of his written judgement and the publicity it attracted."
They also they took issue with the part of the judgement which said others involved in the investigation and preparation of the case may have been involved in the deliberate and calculated deception.
Mr Justice Weir has reacted by stating he merely raised concerns, and it was up to law enforcement agencies to investigate.
A statement issued through the office of the Lord Chief Justice Sir Brian Kerr said that Mr Justice Weir "considered that the nature of the evidence given by the two individuals he identified in the judgement raised the possibility of the involvement of others."
Sir Brian said the trial judge "did not speculate that others were involved, much less who such others might be. He registered his concern that others may have been involved and he has left it to other agencies to investigated and determine whether that is the case."
A lawyer for Sean Hoey said he 'had no problem with the judge's comments.'
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE HERALD
Ref: TYH/075
Published Date: 14-Jul-08
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