Guildford pub bomb planted by ‘courting couple’, coroner rules

The victims of the Guildford pub bombings in England carried out by the IRA nearly 48 years ago were unlawfully killed by a powerful time bomb planted by bombers who had posed as a “courting couple”, a coroner has ruled.

Soldiers Caroline Slater (18), William Forsyth (18), John Hunter (17) and Ann Hamilton (19) and civilian Paul Craig (21) died and 65 were injured in the Horse and Groom atrocity on October 5th, 1974.

The timer-operated bomb, which exploded at 8.50pm, had been hidden after 5.30pm in the pub, chosen by the IRA because it was popular with British soldiers from the local barracks.

The four soldiers, all new recruits, had been enjoying their first Saturday night off, while Mr Craig had come to be with a friend in the pub, which was packed with 120 people before the “violent, intense and devastating” explosion occurred.

[ Guildford pub bombing inquest: Too many questions not asked ]

The bomb’s “immense, unstoppable force” blew a wall and fireplace into another room, threw victims at force into the cellar, while some were electrocuted by live electricity cables falling from the ceiling. “It must have been terrifying,” said the coroner.

Remembering the “utter confusion and mass hysteria”, retired police officer Robin Young said he saw “bodies, a lot of debris and mess” in the explosion crater, with some victims “alive, screaming and shouting” inside.

Because of decisions made early on, the inquest did not have the scope to explore who was responsible for the bomb, the make-up of the bomb, or any claims that police lied during the later trial of the wrongfully jailed Guildford Four.

Eleven people, including Maguire Seven, were jailed, but their convictions were later quashed. In 1976, IRA members Brendan Dowd and Martin Joseph O’Connell admitted carrying out the bombings, but they were never charged.