MAN LIKELY TO BE CHARGED WITH 29 OMAGH MURDERS
Man likely to be charged with 29 Omagh murders
POLICE investigating the bombing of Omagh nearly six years ago have indicated that a man is very close to being charged with the bombing.
At the High Court in Belfast last Thursday a Crown lawyer opposing bail for Sean Gerard Hoey from Jonesborough, South Armagh, said police had informed the accused that they had informed the DPP that they planned to charge Hoey with the murder of 29 people in Omagh and the destruction of two unborn babies.
Hoey was remanded in custody in September on a range of charges including those relating to explosives and membership of a proscribed organisation, namely the 'Real IRA'.
Gordon Kerr QC acting for the Crown, made mention of some 15 bomb attacks on areas such as Banbridge, Lisburn, Armagh and Newry and said that the timer switches came from the same batch bought from a French firm by a bogus company calling itself Electra Technics.
He said that the defendant's DNA was found on tape between the power unit and the detonator of the Lisburn car bomb. He said that Hoey had phoned Seamus Daly at 3.26 pm on the day of the Omagh bomb and that Daly was coming from the direction of Omagh. He added that the phone call had been made from a phone box near the accused's in-laws home.
Philip McGee acting for Hoey said his client denies making, procuring or anything whatsoever to do with the Omagh bomb. Moreover, he said that there was no suggestion that that his client's DNA was on the Omagh device.
He added that the case was likely to be the most complicated forensic case ever mounted in Northern Ireland.
Denying Hoey bail Lord Justice Nicholson said he was satisfied that there was a strong case against the defendant. He said that there was a risk that if released on bail he would not turn up for his trial.
POLICE investigating the bombing of Omagh nearly six years ago have indicated that a man is very close to being charged with the bombing.
At the High Court in Belfast last Thursday a Crown lawyer opposing bail for Sean Gerard Hoey from Jonesborough, South Armagh, said police had informed the accused that they had informed the DPP that they planned to charge Hoey with the murder of 29 people in Omagh and the destruction of two unborn babies.
Hoey was remanded in custody in September on a range of charges including those relating to explosives and membership of a proscribed organisation, namely the 'Real IRA'.
Gordon Kerr QC acting for the Crown, made mention of some 15 bomb attacks on areas such as Banbridge, Lisburn, Armagh and Newry and said that the timer switches came from the same batch bought from a French firm by a bogus company calling itself Electra Technics.
He said that the defendant's DNA was found on tape between the power unit and the detonator of the Lisburn car bomb. He said that Hoey had phoned Seamus Daly at 3.26 pm on the day of the Omagh bomb and that Daly was coming from the direction of Omagh. He added that the phone call had been made from a phone box near the accused's in-laws home.
Philip McGee acting for Hoey said his client denies making, procuring or anything whatsoever to do with the Omagh bomb. Moreover, he said that there was no suggestion that that his client's DNA was on the Omagh device.
He added that the case was likely to be the most complicated forensic case ever mounted in Northern Ireland.
Denying Hoey bail Lord Justice Nicholson said he was satisfied that there was a strong case against the defendant. He said that there was a risk that if released on bail he would not turn up for his trial.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1650
Published Date: 08-Apr-04
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