Omagh bomb suspect to stand trial

Omagh bomb suspect Sean Hoey was committed for trial today on a catalogue of charges related to the horrific attack in which 29 people were killed.

The South Armagh man was told by Belfast magistrate Desmond Perry that after hearing Crown evidence during a three-day committal, he considered there was a case to answer.

Hoey, 36, an electrician from Molly Road, Jonesborough, on the South Armagh border, was remanded in custody to appear before Belfast Crown Court at a date to be decided.

He faces a total of 58 charges relating to the Omagh bombing and a range of other attacks carried out by the real IRA in 1998.

Three charges relating to a Belfast bombing were dismissed.

Ordering that Hoey should stand trial, the magistrate said: “The Crown invited me to look at the cumulative effect of the huge quantity of evidence that the defendant was the man who manufactured these 14 devices, the most devastating of which decimated the centre of Omagh and resulted in the tragic deaths of 29 innocent people.”

After rejecting defence efforts to have each charge looked at independently and what he dismissed as “a fatuous argument”, Mr Perry said: “I am satisfied there is a case to answer.”

Hoey stood expressionless in the dock and shook his head mouthing the word “no” when asked if he had anything to say.

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden died in the bombing, welcomed the magistrate's decision.

“We look forward to the start of the trial next year,” he said.

Mr Gallagher, who sat with his wife in the public gallery during the entire committal proceedings, said: “These last three days in court have been very, very difficult and I felt very nervous. It is a tremendous relief to know now that at least one person is going to stand trial.

“I hope it is only a beginning and others involved will be brought to justice.”

He said he wanted to express his grateful thanks to Detective Chief Superintendent Norman Baxter for the huge amount of work he and his team had carried out to bring the charges.

He also thanked the forensic scientists for the evidence they had compiled.

Mr Gallagher had one regret, he said, that no one had yet been brought to justice in the Irish Republic.

“The bomb team came from there and I am going to continue to press the Irish government to put more effort into the case.”

Laurence Rush, whose wife died in the bomb atrocity, said he felt overcome. “This is one hurdle we have got over, I am very happy.

“I am very relieved that there is at least one person going to stand trial for the murder of my wife.”

Mr Rush said it had been very difficult sitting in court.

“Memories just flooded back into my mind of that disaster taking place.”

Hoey's solicitor, Peter Corrigan, said he was very disappointed at the decision to commit his client for trial.

“I don’t think it was the right decision,” he said.

Mr Corrigan said all along the evidence against Hoey was that he “may or possibly” constructed bombs.

“That is not enough to send a man to trial in one of the biggest cases in Irish or British history.”

He said the defence feared another Guildford 4 or Birmingham 6 scenario and a miscarriage of justice.

He said that since the police ombudsman, Nuala O’Loan, had issued a “scathing” report criticising the initial police investigation, officers had been under tremendous pressure to “try and construct a case around someone”.

Mr Corrigan added: “I would ask anyone interested in justice to look at this case dispassionately before it is too late – don’t let it become another Guildford 4.”