McConville case arrest based on Boston interview

The case against a veteran republican, 77, charged in connection with the IRA murder of mother-of-10 Jean McConville is based on an interview he allegedly gave to researchers at a US college, a court has heard.

The claim was made as Ivor Bell was refused bail and remanded in custody by a district judge in Belfast accused of aiding and abetting in the murder as well as membership of the IRA.

The Boston College interviews included claims about the murder of Mrs McConville, who was abducted by the IRA at her home at Divis Flats, Belfast, in 1972, shot dead, and then secretly buried.

Applying for bail, Peter Corrigan, representing Mr Bell, told District Judge Amanda Henderson that the prosecution case was that an interviewee on one of the Boston tapes, referred to only as ‘Z’, was his client.

However, the solicitor insisted the person interviewed had denied any involvement in the murder.

Mr Corrigan also questioned the evidential value of the interviews, pointing out that they had not been conducted by trained police officers.

“The defence submits that the evidence does not amount to a row of beans in relation to the murder of Jean McConville,” he said.

Mr Bell, from Ramoan Gardens, Andersonstown, west Belfast, sat impassively in the dock as his lawyer made the claims. Some of Mrs McConville’s children watched from the public gallery.

A PSNI detective inspector, who earlier told the judge he could connect the accused with the charges, rejected Mr Corrigan’s interpretation of the Boston College interview.

He claimed the transcript indicated Mr Bell had “played a critical role in the aiding, abetting, counsel and procurement of the murder of Jean McConville”.

The officer said he opposed bail on the grounds that the defendant would likely flee the jurisdiction.

However, Mr Corrigan said that was out of the question, noting his client suffered from a range of serious medical conditions, that his family was based in Belfast and that he had “every incentive” to stay to prove his innocence.

Judge Henderson said: “I am persuaded by the prosecution in this case and on that basis I am refusing bail.” Mr Bell was remanded in custody to appear before court again next month.

He waved to supporters in the public gallery as he was led out of the dock.

Mrs McConville was dragged away from her children by an IRA gang of up to 12 men and women after being accused of passing information to the British army in Belfast.

An investigation later carried out by the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman rejected the allegations.

She was shot in the back of the head and buried 50 miles from her home. The IRA did not admit her murder until 1999, when information was passed on to the gardaí. Her remains were found on a beach in Co Louth in August 2003.

Nobody has ever been charged with her murder.

After the hearing, Mrs McConville’s son, Michael, said the family’s thoughts were with their mother.

“The pain of losing her has not diminished over the decades since she was taken from us, murdered, and secretly buried,” he said.