HOEY CLAIMS POLICE WERE ON WITCH HUNT
Hoey claims police were on 'witch hunt'
SEAN Hoey, who is accused of the murder of 29 people in the Omagh bomb, claimed in police interviews that his arrest in connection with the atrocity and other alleged bombing offences was a 'witch hunt.'
Hoey (37) from Jonesborough, Co. Armagh, denies a total of 58 charges.
He said if his DNA was on any evidence it was either there innocently or 'planted' by police 'or some other agency the police are using.' The claims were made during police interviews which have been read out at his trial.
The trial also heard that an investigation into how bomb timers, linked to the Omagh trial, were lost up to eight years ago, only began a couple of weeks ago. The lost timers had been found at a number of attacks in 1998 and were lost a matter of months later.
The Forensic Science Service in the North was responsible for tracking the timer power units. Its acting operations director, Jim Speers, was questioned in court regarding any subsequent investigation into their disappearance. Initially, he seemed to indicate that an investigation was under way, adding that he had not spoken to anyone about it.
During questioning by the defence, however, Mr Speers paused and asked the judge if he could consult the prosecution lawyers. Mr Justice Weir told him to answer the questions.
He then revealed that he himself had asked for the review and that he had only done so a couple of weeks ago since the issue of the missing timers had been raised in the trial.
More details of why accreditation was suspended at forensic laboratories in the North was also revealed. The accreditation service had a number of concerns including administrative errors and they discovered equipment had not been properly checked. A subsequent review by a consultancy firm found dozens of what it described as significant 'non-conformities' or mistakes.
Mr Speers stated that none of the errors had a risk "of an unsafe conviction or a miscarriage of justice."
The trial continues with prosecution nearing the completion of its case.
SEAN Hoey, who is accused of the murder of 29 people in the Omagh bomb, claimed in police interviews that his arrest in connection with the atrocity and other alleged bombing offences was a 'witch hunt.'
Hoey (37) from Jonesborough, Co. Armagh, denies a total of 58 charges.
He said if his DNA was on any evidence it was either there innocently or 'planted' by police 'or some other agency the police are using.' The claims were made during police interviews which have been read out at his trial.
The trial also heard that an investigation into how bomb timers, linked to the Omagh trial, were lost up to eight years ago, only began a couple of weeks ago. The lost timers had been found at a number of attacks in 1998 and were lost a matter of months later.
The Forensic Science Service in the North was responsible for tracking the timer power units. Its acting operations director, Jim Speers, was questioned in court regarding any subsequent investigation into their disappearance. Initially, he seemed to indicate that an investigation was under way, adding that he had not spoken to anyone about it.
During questioning by the defence, however, Mr Speers paused and asked the judge if he could consult the prosecution lawyers. Mr Justice Weir told him to answer the questions.
He then revealed that he himself had asked for the review and that he had only done so a couple of weeks ago since the issue of the missing timers had been raised in the trial.
More details of why accreditation was suspended at forensic laboratories in the North was also revealed. The accreditation service had a number of concerns including administrative errors and they discovered equipment had not been properly checked. A subsequent review by a consultancy firm found dozens of what it described as significant 'non-conformities' or mistakes.
Mr Speers stated that none of the errors had a risk "of an unsafe conviction or a miscarriage of justice."
The trial continues with prosecution nearing the completion of its case.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1883
Published Date: 14-Dec-06
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