Man charged with Omagh deaths

A 35-year-old electrician was remanded in custody today charged with 61 offences relating to the Omagh bombing, including 29 murders.

Sean Gerard Hoey from south Armagh appeared at Craigavon Magistrates' Court, also charged with 23 explosives offences and conspiracy to murder members of the security forces.

Hoey, from Molly Road in Jonesborough, was remanded in custody to Maghaberry Prison to appear before Belfast magistrates on May 31.
Hoey did not enter a plea at the hearing.

Dressed in a brown jumper and jeans, Hoey showed little emotion as the charges were read out and spoke only to confirm his name.

His solicitor, Peter Corrigan, told the court that the prosecution team had not provided any new evidence to allow the case to continue and also said delays in the case were an abuse of process.

Mr Corrigan asked the court to order the prosecution team to serve the defence with information and details of an international review commission into the Omagh bomb.

Magistrate Alan White refused the application and ordered Hoey to appear at the Laganside courts in Belfast next Tuesday.

"It is obviously in the interests of justice and the interests of everybody that the matter is determined at the earliest stage," Mr White said.

But he ruled Belfast Magistrates Court was in a better position to rule on the two issues raised by Mr Corrigan.

Relatives of the 29 people killed in the bomb blast in August 1998 sat in court as the charges were read out.