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| Britain Drops Case Against Last Suspect in 1998 Omagh Bombing | Britain Drops Case Against Last Suspect in 1998 Omagh Bombing |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| DUBLIN — The case against the remaining suspect facing criminal charges in the killing of 29 people in a bombing in Omagh in 1998, the deadliest attack during three decades of bloody conflict in Northern Ireland, collapsed on Tuesday after the state prosecutor unexpectedly dropped the matter. | |
| Seamus Daly, 45, who was detained pending trial after he was charged with the killings in April 2014, was released from the high-security Maghaberry Prison near Belfast on Tuesday. | Seamus Daly, 45, who was detained pending trial after he was charged with the killings in April 2014, was released from the high-security Maghaberry Prison near Belfast on Tuesday. |
| The director of public prosecutions in Northern Ireland, Barra McGrory, said the state had withdrawn the charges because of concerns about the reliability of the evidence provided by the main witness. | The director of public prosecutions in Northern Ireland, Barra McGrory, said the state had withdrawn the charges because of concerns about the reliability of the evidence provided by the main witness. |
| The prosecution had built its case around evidence connected to a cellphone. The witness, Denis O’Connor, the owner of a construction company, had told the authorities that Mr. Daly had called him about an unrelated matter on a phone that the police had identified as being near the scene of the attack about 20 minutes after it took place. | The prosecution had built its case around evidence connected to a cellphone. The witness, Denis O’Connor, the owner of a construction company, had told the authorities that Mr. Daly had called him about an unrelated matter on a phone that the police had identified as being near the scene of the attack about 20 minutes after it took place. |
| Mr. O’Connor’s latest evidence, presented to a court in Omagh last week, had not been made public because of reporting restrictions. | Mr. O’Connor’s latest evidence, presented to a court in Omagh last week, had not been made public because of reporting restrictions. |
| At the hearing, Mr. Daly’s lawyer, Peter Corrigan, countered the evidence by repeating that his client had an alibi that placed him elsewhere on the date of the bombing. Once the charges were withdrawn on Tuesday, Mr. Corrigan told reporters that the state’s case had been “paper thin” and based “on a house of straw,” and that the prosecution had acknowledged its weaknesses. | At the hearing, Mr. Daly’s lawyer, Peter Corrigan, countered the evidence by repeating that his client had an alibi that placed him elsewhere on the date of the bombing. Once the charges were withdrawn on Tuesday, Mr. Corrigan told reporters that the state’s case had been “paper thin” and based “on a house of straw,” and that the prosecution had acknowledged its weaknesses. |
| The Public Prosecution Service said in a statement that the decision had focused in particular on the testimony provided by an important witness. “Under cross-examination, a number of issues became apparent which impacted upon the reliability of the evidence that the witness was providing,” it said. | The Public Prosecution Service said in a statement that the decision had focused in particular on the testimony provided by an important witness. “Under cross-examination, a number of issues became apparent which impacted upon the reliability of the evidence that the witness was providing,” it said. |
| Cat Wilkinson, whose brother Aiden died in the attack, said the families of the victims had not been notified in advance of the decision to drop the charges. | Cat Wilkinson, whose brother Aiden died in the attack, said the families of the victims had not been notified in advance of the decision to drop the charges. |
| “It is quite shocking that we have had to learn this from the media — we had no idea this was coming,” she said. “Our hopes for justice have been dashed once more.” | “It is quite shocking that we have had to learn this from the media — we had no idea this was coming,” she said. “Our hopes for justice have been dashed once more.” |
| The bombing, claimed by a dissident republican group that called itself the Real Irish Republican Army, took place four months after the signing of the Belfast Agreement, which effectively ended the three-decade conflict known as the Troubles. | |
| Among the dead were nine children and a woman pregnant with twins, said the Omagh Support and Self Help Group, an organization set up to help those affected by the bombing. | Among the dead were nine children and a woman pregnant with twins, said the Omagh Support and Self Help Group, an organization set up to help those affected by the bombing. |
| Mr. Daly was among four men found liable for the attack in a civil action taken by some of the victims’ families, but the four have appealed the $2.6 million judgment against them, and no one has been convicted of criminal charges. | Mr. Daly was among four men found liable for the attack in a civil action taken by some of the victims’ families, but the four have appealed the $2.6 million judgment against them, and no one has been convicted of criminal charges. |
| Mr. O’Connor’s testimony formed the basis of the civil litigation, and after the withdrawal of the charges against Mr. Daly on Tuesday, the families who pursued legal action on that front said they feared that their case may fall apart. | |
| In 2004, Mr. Daly was sentenced to three and a half years in prison by a court in the Republic of Ireland after he admitted membership in the Real Irish Republican Army, but he has always denied any involvement in the Omagh bombing. | In 2004, Mr. Daly was sentenced to three and a half years in prison by a court in the Republic of Ireland after he admitted membership in the Real Irish Republican Army, but he has always denied any involvement in the Omagh bombing. |
| The prosecution’s statement expressed sympathy for the affected families but said it had little choice. | The prosecution’s statement expressed sympathy for the affected families but said it had little choice. |
| “We understand how difficult this decision will be for them,” it said. “We hope they are assured that this decision was not taken lightly but is required in accordance with our duty as prosecutors to keep a decision under review and to discontinue criminal proceedings when the test for prosecution is no longer met.” | “We understand how difficult this decision will be for them,” it said. “We hope they are assured that this decision was not taken lightly but is required in accordance with our duty as prosecutors to keep a decision under review and to discontinue criminal proceedings when the test for prosecution is no longer met.” |
| The state also dropped charges of conspiring to cause an explosion and having explosives with intent in connection with a separate plot in Lisburn, southwest of Belfast, in April 1998. | The state also dropped charges of conspiring to cause an explosion and having explosives with intent in connection with a separate plot in Lisburn, southwest of Belfast, in April 1998. |