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Gardaí allowed cars to be taken into Northern Ireland for terrorist activity, Omagh inquiry hears
Overview
The Omagh Bombing Inquiry has heard evidence from former Police Ombudsman Northern Ireland officer Martin Bridger that a Garda whistleblower claimed a senior Garda officer permitted stolen cars to cross into Northern Ireland for intelligence-gathering purposes ahead of the 1998 bombing. Bridger also alleged that then-Secretary of State John Reid attempted to block the publication of a 2001 PONI report into the police handling of the inquiry. Additionally, PSNI DCI Pete Billingsley gave evidence regarding bomb warnings and evacuation procedures.
Key points
- Martin Bridger told the Omagh Bombing Inquiry that a Garda whistleblower claimed a senior Garda officer allowed stolen cars to cross into Northern Ireland to gather intelligence.
- Bridger stated that on at least two occasions in the months before the August 1998 Omagh bombing, cars were permitted to cross the border to develop intelligence.
- The Omagh bombing on 15 August 1998 killed 29 people, including a woman pregnant with twins.
- Bridger alleged that in 2001, then-Secretary of State John Reid tried to discourage the publication of a PONI report because he was angry about the findings.
- PSNI DCI Pete Billingsley told the inquiry that inaccurate bomb warnings ultimately directed people towards the bomb during the evacuation.