Brighton bomb victim meets his attacker

A victim of the IRA’s Brighton bomb today revealed he had come face-to-face with the man who planted it - to express forgiveness.

The blast killed five people when it blew up the Grand Hotel in the seaside town, almost taking Margaret Thatcher’s Cabinet with it, during the 1984 Tory conference.

Harvey Thomas, Mrs Thatcher’s former press adviser and conference organiser, plunged three floors through the hotel.

But now he has met the man responsible, Patrick Magee, who served 14 years in prison before being released in 1999 under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement.

Mr Thomas, a committed Christian, said: ‘‘I felt I ought to offer forgiveness. It’s just a tiny wee step in the field of reconciliation.’’

He said he had written to Magee in the Maze prison three years ago.

‘‘I wrote as an individual and a Christian, certainly not on behalf of anyone else. He responded with a very courteous, thoughtful letter,’’ said Mr Thomas, who now runs an international PR consultancy based in Hertfordshire.

The pair arranged to meet, and did so nine months ago in Dublin.

Mr Thomas said: ‘‘I spent two hours with him. He was very educated and well-informed. He clearly felt extremely strongly that the way ahead was through dialogue and not violence.

‘‘I found him extremely genuine, courteous, warm and not at all arrogant. He is a doctor of philosophy, although I think he is now working as a builder.’’

Mr Thomas, a long-time supporter of the American evangelist Billy Graham, said: ‘‘There is a real feeling in Ireland, north and south, that enough is enough.’’

The Brighton bomb killed five people, including Tory MP Sir Anthony Berry and Roberta Wakeham, first wife of Lord Wakeham.

It also maimed Lord Tebbit’s wife Margaret who has been in a wheelchair ever since.

Mr Thomas’s office said he was unavailable today.