MURPHY'S NEPHEW FACES OMAGH BOMB CHARGES
Murphy's nephew faces Omagh bomb charges
SEVERAL relatives of those who died in the Omagh bombing travelled to Craigavon Court on Saturday to see the landmark occurrence of the first person charged in the North in connection with the atrocity.
In the dock was Sean Gerard Hoey, 34, a nephew of Colm Murphy who is the only person convicted in relation to the Omagh bombing. Hoey, an unemployed electrician, from Molly Road, Jonesborough, Co Armagh, faced a total of 15 offences.
The accused arrived at the court covered in a blue blanket, as he sat in the back of an unmarked police car. He was arrested last week with his wife who was later released without charge in the Jonesborough area of south Armagh. Up to 200 police officers and British soldiers were involved in the major-swoop. One of the charges against Hoey, possession of an explosive substance a timer power unit is believed to be connected to the 1998 Omagh bomb.
He faced a further 14 charges including membership of the Real IRA, the dissident republican group which claimed responsibility for the worst terrorist atrocity carried out in over 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland and conspiracy to cause an explosion in Lisburn three months before the Omagh attack.
The accused pleaded not guilty. He appeared in the dock handcuffed and surrounded by nine armed police offices as relatives of those who died in the bomb held him in their cold glare from the public gallery.
Hoey spoke only twice saying 'yes' to confirm his name and again to confirm he understood the charges.
He was remanded in custody to reappear at the same court by video link on October 2.
A police officer told the court when charged, the accused had replied not guilty to each accusation but he believed he could connect the accused with the offences.
The charge in relation to the Omagh bombing stated that on a date unknown between March 12th 1997 and August 16th 1998, unlawfully and maliciously had in his possession or under his control a certain explosive substance namely a timer power unit described as a Mark 19 model, with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property in the United Kingdom or to enable some other person so to do contrary to Section 3 (1) (b) of the Explosive Substances Act 1883.
The 24 detectives still dedicated to the Omagh bomb enquiry have reviewed a whole range of bomb offences and 12 of the charges, all identical to that relating to Omagh involve other attacks.
A fourteenth charge relates to the conspiracy to cause an explosion in Lisburn on the 30 April 1998.
The final charge was membership of the Real IRA between March 12 1997 and September 2 2003 when he was arrested during a major police operation involving some 200 officers in his home village of Jonesborough.
In answer to questions from a defence solicitor, a Detective Chief Inspector agreed the accused had been previously interviewed on three occasions and released without charge.
He said evidence was of a forensic nature, telephone analysis and the similarity between the timer power units used in the attacks.
The defence solicitor insisted that on the possession charges there was absolutely no evidence to connect his client with the charges.
Speaking after the hearing, Michael Gallagher said he had found it difficult to watch a very insignificant person in the dock, who is accused of destroying the lives of so many people.
To date only one person has been convicted on the Omagh atrocity publican Colm Murphy, who received 14 years in the Special Criminal Court, in Dublin, for helping to plot the attack.
Last month, Michael McKevitt was convicted of directing terrorism in the Irish Republic. He had been accused of being the leader of the Real IRA at the time of the Omagh bombing but was never convicted directly of involvement in the attack.
SEVERAL relatives of those who died in the Omagh bombing travelled to Craigavon Court on Saturday to see the landmark occurrence of the first person charged in the North in connection with the atrocity.
In the dock was Sean Gerard Hoey, 34, a nephew of Colm Murphy who is the only person convicted in relation to the Omagh bombing. Hoey, an unemployed electrician, from Molly Road, Jonesborough, Co Armagh, faced a total of 15 offences.
The accused arrived at the court covered in a blue blanket, as he sat in the back of an unmarked police car. He was arrested last week with his wife who was later released without charge in the Jonesborough area of south Armagh. Up to 200 police officers and British soldiers were involved in the major-swoop. One of the charges against Hoey, possession of an explosive substance a timer power unit is believed to be connected to the 1998 Omagh bomb.
He faced a further 14 charges including membership of the Real IRA, the dissident republican group which claimed responsibility for the worst terrorist atrocity carried out in over 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland and conspiracy to cause an explosion in Lisburn three months before the Omagh attack.
The accused pleaded not guilty. He appeared in the dock handcuffed and surrounded by nine armed police offices as relatives of those who died in the bomb held him in their cold glare from the public gallery.
Hoey spoke only twice saying 'yes' to confirm his name and again to confirm he understood the charges.
He was remanded in custody to reappear at the same court by video link on October 2.
A police officer told the court when charged, the accused had replied not guilty to each accusation but he believed he could connect the accused with the offences.
The charge in relation to the Omagh bombing stated that on a date unknown between March 12th 1997 and August 16th 1998, unlawfully and maliciously had in his possession or under his control a certain explosive substance namely a timer power unit described as a Mark 19 model, with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property in the United Kingdom or to enable some other person so to do contrary to Section 3 (1) (b) of the Explosive Substances Act 1883.
The 24 detectives still dedicated to the Omagh bomb enquiry have reviewed a whole range of bomb offences and 12 of the charges, all identical to that relating to Omagh involve other attacks.
A fourteenth charge relates to the conspiracy to cause an explosion in Lisburn on the 30 April 1998.
The final charge was membership of the Real IRA between March 12 1997 and September 2 2003 when he was arrested during a major police operation involving some 200 officers in his home village of Jonesborough.
In answer to questions from a defence solicitor, a Detective Chief Inspector agreed the accused had been previously interviewed on three occasions and released without charge.
He said evidence was of a forensic nature, telephone analysis and the similarity between the timer power units used in the attacks.
The defence solicitor insisted that on the possession charges there was absolutely no evidence to connect his client with the charges.
Speaking after the hearing, Michael Gallagher said he had found it difficult to watch a very insignificant person in the dock, who is accused of destroying the lives of so many people.
To date only one person has been convicted on the Omagh atrocity publican Colm Murphy, who received 14 years in the Special Criminal Court, in Dublin, for helping to plot the attack.
Last month, Michael McKevitt was convicted of directing terrorism in the Irish Republic. He had been accused of being the leader of the Real IRA at the time of the Omagh bombing but was never convicted directly of involvement in the attack.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1611
Published Date: 11-Sep-03
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