2006 IN FOCUS
2006 IN FOCUS
February
- The man accused of the murder of 29 people in the Omagh bombing was refused bail when prosecutors told the High Court in Belfast that they feared he would flee to the Republic. Sean Hoey of Jonesborough Co. Armagh denies the charges. (The case will continue in the New Year after attempts to have it thrown out failed. Two charges against the accused were dropped and the trial has been bedevilled by problems with forensic evidence and accusations that police officers lied). The prosecution told the High Court that the accused had attempted to escape from the police when he was arrested. At that juncture he had been in custody for almost 900 days.
September
- Relatives of the Omagh bomb victims were dismayed that the trial of Electrician Sean Gerard Hoey had been adjourned at the last minute. Hoey, from Molly Road, Jonesborough in Co. Armagh was the only person to face charges relating to the horrific bomb blast in Omagh Town on August 15, 1998 which claimed 31 lives.
November
- The Omagh bomb prosecution case experienced further disappointment when it was learned that the prosecution barristers declared they were no longer going to rely on the analysis of voice expert, Dr Fredricka Holmes, who had previously said that a recording of the bomb warning was "more than likely not" to have been the voice of Sean Hoey, the 36-year-old electrician from County Armagh on trial for the crime.
December
- Despite a bid from Sean Hoey's defence team to throw out the charges relating to the Omagh bomb in 1998, the judge decided the trial will continue into the New year. Hoey, 37, from Molly Road, Jonesborough, Co. Armagh denies all charges including the 29 murders in the Omagh atrocity.
February
- The man accused of the murder of 29 people in the Omagh bombing was refused bail when prosecutors told the High Court in Belfast that they feared he would flee to the Republic. Sean Hoey of Jonesborough Co. Armagh denies the charges. (The case will continue in the New Year after attempts to have it thrown out failed. Two charges against the accused were dropped and the trial has been bedevilled by problems with forensic evidence and accusations that police officers lied). The prosecution told the High Court that the accused had attempted to escape from the police when he was arrested. At that juncture he had been in custody for almost 900 days.
September
- Relatives of the Omagh bomb victims were dismayed that the trial of Electrician Sean Gerard Hoey had been adjourned at the last minute. Hoey, from Molly Road, Jonesborough in Co. Armagh was the only person to face charges relating to the horrific bomb blast in Omagh Town on August 15, 1998 which claimed 31 lives.
November
- The Omagh bomb prosecution case experienced further disappointment when it was learned that the prosecution barristers declared they were no longer going to rely on the analysis of voice expert, Dr Fredricka Holmes, who had previously said that a recording of the bomb warning was "more than likely not" to have been the voice of Sean Hoey, the 36-year-old electrician from County Armagh on trial for the crime.
December
- Despite a bid from Sean Hoey's defence team to throw out the charges relating to the Omagh bomb in 1998, the judge decided the trial will continue into the New year. Hoey, 37, from Molly Road, Jonesborough, Co. Armagh denies all charges including the 29 murders in the Omagh atrocity.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1885
Published Date: 04-Jan-07
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