Omagh accused’s hearing adjourned as defence team considers seeking preliminary investigation

Lawyers for a bricklayer accused of murdering 29 people in the Omagh bombing have been given a month to decide whether to seek the cross-examination of witnesses in a preliminary hearing.
44 year old Seamus Daly is on remand in Maghabbery Prison in Northern Ireland charged with the 1998 Real IRA attack.
Daly, with an address at Jonesborough in County Armagh appeared before Omagh Magistrates’ Court by video-link in the latest of a series of pre-trial hearings since his arrest last April.
Mr Daly’s lawyer Peter Corrigan told District Judge Bernie Kelly that prosecution case papers had been received by the defence team, and defence counsel will assess the documents to decide whether they will seek to have the evidence tested orally in the magistrates’ court before a decision is made to commit his client to Crown Court trial.
Evidence can be assessed either through a preliminary inquiry by a magistrate, or a preliminary investigation, which involves witnesses being called and cross-examined.
Mr Corrigan told the judge a decision will be made shortly on whether a preliminary investigation would be requested.
Ms Kelly adjourned the case until the 15th of next month to give the defence time to consider the prosecution papers.
As well as the 29 murder counts, Mr Daly faces charges of causing the August 1998 explosion and possession of a bomb in the town with intent to endanger life or property.