Police to question IRA bomb accused Downey about historical offences

A 67-YEAR-old man charged with murdering two British soldiers in 1972 is to be questioned about other historical alleged offences, it has emerged.

John Downey was brought before Belfast Magistrates’ Court yesterday for an application to have him released into police custody.

Detectives were given up to three days to interview him about undisclosed matters unrelated to the current case against him.

Downey’s newly instructed solicitor John Finucane opposed the move, saying it was unnecessary and excessive.

The defendant is currently charged over a car bomb attack which killed UDR members Alfred Johnston and James Eames in Enniskillen.

Downey, with an address in Creeslough, Co Donegal, faces prosecution after losing a battle against being extradited from the Republic.

He was detained in October last year under a European arrest warrant, exhausting all appeals before handing himself in this month.

Lance Corporal Johnston and Private Eames died in an explosion on the Irvinestown Road in August 1972.

Downey is also charged with aiding and abetting an explosion likely to endanger life.

A previous court was told his fingerprint was allegedly found on insulating tape used to construct the device.

Although the original impression has since degraded, photographs of it were said to have been used in “multiple comparisons”.

They included analysis carried out on prints taken from Downey earlier this month and also after his arrest at Gatwick Airport in 2013 for the 1982 IRA bombing at London’s Hyde Park.

He had been due to stand trial for the murder of four Royal Household Cavalry men in the Hyde Park attack, but the case against him collapsed after it emerged he had received a letter of assurance from the Government that he was not wanted for any offences.

The prosecution now intends to rely on the fingerprints taken at Gatwick as evidence in the current case.

Last week Downey was refused bail at the High Court.

He was produced from custody yesterday for the police bid to be allowed to question him about separate matters.

Despite Mr Finucane’s objections, Judge Philip Mateer QC granted a period of up to three days for the new interview purposes.