The only man charged in connection with the Omagh bomb may not have known that a mobile phone he allegedly lent to the bombers was to be used in that particular attack, a prosecution lawyer has said.
As defence counsel for Mr Colm Murphy attempted to prevent evidence being called on mobile-phone use at the time of the bombing, Mr Peter Charleton SC told the Special Criminal Court the prosecution hoped to show from the movements of Mr Murphy's mobile phone and calls made from it that it was linked to the bombing.
He agreed with Mr Justice Barr that the prosecution hoped to show Mr Murphy's mobile phone travelled from Dundalk to Omagh and back at the time of the bombing.
"If the court accepts that evidence, it tends to show a willing aid to an organisation to cause an explosion," Mr Charleton said. It would show also why, on being made aware of the mobile evidence, Mr Murphy made alleged admissions to garda∅, he said.
Earlier in the trial Det Garda James B. Hanley told the court Mr Murphy had admitted in interviews that he lent his mobile phone to known republicans, knowing it would be used for moving bombs.
It was the 15th day of the trial of Mr Murphy (49), a publican and former builder with an address at Jordan's Corner, Ravensdale, Co Louth. He pleads 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.