Omagh bombing trial enters twenty-fifth day

A defence counsel for Colm Murphy, the only man charged in connection with the Omagh bombing, submitted at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin today that there was "a credibility problem" with interviews conducted by the gardai with the accused.

He told the three judges that when they retire as jurors they have to be satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt that there was ``no jiggery pokery.’’

Mr Michael O' Higgins SC was making closing submissions on the twenty-fifth day of Murphy's trial.

Mr O'Higgins said that the key question was whether the court can rely on the interviews carried out by the gardai with Murphy. "The central question which the court has to address is whether or not there is a credibility problem in respect of these."

It was the twenty-fifth day of the trial of Colm Murphy, (49), a father of four, building contractor and publican who is a native of Co Armagh with an address at Jordan's Corner, Ravensdale, Co Louth who has pleaded not guilty to conspiring in Dundalk with another person not before the court to cause an explosion in the State or elsewhere between August 13th and 16th, 1998.

The prosecution is alleging that Mr Murphy lent his mobile phone and another mobile phone he obtained from an innocent party to the people who planted the Omagh bomb.

Earlier in the trial Detective Garda James B Hanley told the court that Murphy had admitted in interviews that he lent his mobile phone to known republicans, knowing it would be used for moving bombs.

Mr O’ Higgins submitted that the interviews were compromised by the cheating which occurred when alleged interviews with two gardai were fabricated.

The court has already ruled that the interviews with the two gardai were "concocted" and cannot be admitted in evidence but that other interviews including one where Murphy allegedly admitted lending his mobile phone to dissident republicans and knowing it was for moving a bomb to Northern Ireland can be admitted in evidence.

Mr O' Higgins also said that at the time the crucial interview concluded the "critical admissions" which were alleged to have been obtained were unknown to the following interview team.

He said that this was not an isolated incident but part of a discernible pattern. He said the level of contamination went way beyond the two gardai involved. He submitted that the credibility of all the interviews was in question.