A MAN sought by the UK authorities for allegedly attempting to pervert the course of justice by sending a controversial DVD to a judge and jury foreman during a trial relating to bomb attacks in London in July 2005 has appeared before the High Court after being arrested in Co Meath.
Sheffield-born Anthony John Hill (60) was arrested by gardaí at his home in Carrick Street, Kells, early yesterday morning on foot of a European Arrest Warrant, Mr Justice John MacMenamin was told.
Mr Hill’s extradition is being sought in relation to his alleged actions during the trial of several people on conspiracy charges related to the attacks on July 7th, 2005, that took place on the London underground and a London bus.
It is alleged that, in May and June 2008, Mr Hill sent several copies of a DVD entitled 7/7 Ripple Effectto the judge and the foreman of a jury at the trial at Kingston Crown Court of people allegedly involved in assisting the 2005 bombings.
7/7 Ripple Effectis a film, available on the internet, which claims people accused of involvement in the bombings are innocent and that the bombings were an "inside job", perhaps involving state intelligence agencies in either Britain or Israel.
The British authorities claim copies of the DVD were sent, in packaging with Irish postal marks, between September 2007 and December 2007 to five relatives of people who had been killed during the bombing.
In court yesterday, Sgt Seán Fallon said that when arrested at his Kells home at 8.14am, Mr Hill, when asked about the DVD, had said: “I sent it. I believe those men to be innocent.”
Sgt Fallon said Mr Hill had said that a friend of his had made the DVDs and that copies were made on his computer.
Gardaí took possession of computers at Mr Hill’s home yesterday and will apply to the court to send those computers to the British authorities.
The matter was adjourned by Mr Justice MacMenamin to February 18th and Mr Hill was remanded in custody.