Omagh bombing judge 'did not speculate'

Claims that the senior judge who acquitted the man accused of the Omagh bombing had indulged in speculation in his judgment were rejected today by Northern Ireland’s Lord Chief Justice.

The judge did not speculate, was the blunt message from the Lord Chief Justice’s office.

Mr Justice Weir came in for unprecedented criticism in a report published today by two of the UK’s former top policemen.

They said in a report commissioned by the Northern Ireland Policing Board in the wake of the acquittal that part of the judgment clearing Seán Hoey of all charges amounted to speculation.

The judge was highly critical of the police handling of the case, and accused a detective sergeant and a PSNI scenes of crime officer of a “deliberate and calculated deception”.

Mr Justice Weir referred the actions of the officers to the Policing Ombudsman for investigation - his report is expected later in the month.

In a statement, the Lord Chief Justice’s office said: “The judge did not speculate that others were involved, much less who such others might be.”

“He registered his concern that other may have been involved and he has left it to other agencies to investigate and determine whether that is the case,” it said.

PA