A detective garda yesterday denied garda∅ had rewritten interview notes to build a case against Colm Murphy, the Co Armagh man accused of conspiring to bomb Omagh.
Det Garda John Fahy said Mr Murphy had failed to explain why his mobile phone was in Omagh on August 15th, 1998, the day of the bomb and that he was trying to "put himself as far away from Omagh as possible".
The witness said that when Mr Murphy became aware of the seriousness of the phone evidence, he became more cautious in his responses during questioning in February 1999. "His phone was in Omagh and [named associate's] phone was in Omagh and this was going to tie him in with Omagh as far as he was concerned," Det Garda Fahy said.
Colm Murphy (49), with an address at Ravensdale, Co Louth, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring in Dundalk with another person not before the court to cause an explosion in the State or elsewhere between August 13th and 16th, 1998.
Mr Michael O'Higgins, defending, put it to Det Garda Fahy that interview notes had been rewritten and that the accused had made no admissions while in custody. The witness disagreed. He said he was not aware of Mr Murphy's alleged admission to two other members of the investigation team on February 22nd, before he resumed questioning the accused the following day.
The trial continues today.