OMAGH BOMB CASE WILL NOT BE STAYED
Omagh bomb case will not be stayed
DESPITE a catalogue of errors and omissions claimed by the defence including alleged perjury on the part of police officers giving evidence in the Omagh bomb trial - the trial will not be stayed the presiding judge, Justice Weir, ruled on Thursday.
Sean Hoey is charged with the deaths of 29 people in the Omagh blast, but his defence team has claimed there had been a conspiracy by a number of police officers to bury evidence.
The judge said that said the credibility and reliability of witnesses, Philip Marshall and forensic officer Fiona Cooper, had been brought into question.
The judge ruled that an issues of potential prejudice could be dealt with within the trial process although he declared the conduct of the two police witnesses was "reprehensible".
Hoey, from Molly Road, Jonesborough denies the 29 murders in Omagh and a series of other attacks attributed to the so called 'Real-IRA.'
On Wednesday, defence counsel, Orlando Pownall QC, claimed officers had perjured themselves. He had claimed it would not be fair to try Mr Hoey on two charges linked to a mortar find at Altmore Forest, near Dungannon, in April 2001.
The application to have the case stayed followed allegations from the defence that witness statements had been doctored to give the impression that certain forensic precautions had been taken at the scene, where photographs appeared to indicate that they had not. He claimed there was an conspiracy the objective of which was to 'beef up' the prosecution case.
Crown counsel, Gordon Kerr, acknowledged there had been 'impropriety' in the way witness statements had been submitted but said there was no prejudice to Hoey because the issue had been exposed and explored at trial.
Hoey faces 58 charges in all, all of which he denies. The case is due to continue this week.
DESPITE a catalogue of errors and omissions claimed by the defence including alleged perjury on the part of police officers giving evidence in the Omagh bomb trial - the trial will not be stayed the presiding judge, Justice Weir, ruled on Thursday.
Sean Hoey is charged with the deaths of 29 people in the Omagh blast, but his defence team has claimed there had been a conspiracy by a number of police officers to bury evidence.
The judge said that said the credibility and reliability of witnesses, Philip Marshall and forensic officer Fiona Cooper, had been brought into question.
The judge ruled that an issues of potential prejudice could be dealt with within the trial process although he declared the conduct of the two police witnesses was "reprehensible".
Hoey, from Molly Road, Jonesborough denies the 29 murders in Omagh and a series of other attacks attributed to the so called 'Real-IRA.'
On Wednesday, defence counsel, Orlando Pownall QC, claimed officers had perjured themselves. He had claimed it would not be fair to try Mr Hoey on two charges linked to a mortar find at Altmore Forest, near Dungannon, in April 2001.
The application to have the case stayed followed allegations from the defence that witness statements had been doctored to give the impression that certain forensic precautions had been taken at the scene, where photographs appeared to indicate that they had not. He claimed there was an conspiracy the objective of which was to 'beef up' the prosecution case.
Crown counsel, Gordon Kerr, acknowledged there had been 'impropriety' in the way witness statements had been submitted but said there was no prejudice to Hoey because the issue had been exposed and explored at trial.
Hoey faces 58 charges in all, all of which he denies. The case is due to continue this week.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1882
Published Date: 07-Dec-06
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