A MAN charged with offences relating to the mortar attack on Heathrow Airport in March 1994 was denied bail at Belmarsh Magistrates Court in London yesterday and remanded in custody until November 12th, 1996.
Mr Michael Anthony Gallagher (53), with an address in Warwick Road, south west London, did not speak during the short hearing as charges were read out that he was a member of the Provisional IRA, that he provided property for a proscribed organisation, and that he conspired to cause an explosion on or before March 16th, 1994.
In opposing bail for Mr Gallagher - "for his own safety" - the prosecution stated that he was a "committed member of the IRA" and, as such, had, breached the rules of that organisation by speaking to outsiders about their activities.
The prosecution outlined the events leading up to the mortar attack, arguing "observation" and "examination" by the police had revealed traces of the Semtex components PETN and RDX, similar to the type used in the airport attack, at a lock up garage in south west London that had been rented to Mr Gallagher under a false name.
Further, the prosecution argued that witnesses observed a man fitting Mr Gallagher's description at the lock up garage unloading boxes from a Ford Sierra. The man was described as wearing "marigold type kitchen gloves".
Evidence was also produced linking Mr Gallagher to the purchase of a Ford Fiesta while using a false name and address.
The car, which the prosecution stated was later sold to a man matching Mr Gallagher's description, was then followed by the police and traced to a Ms Mary Attenborough, who was described in court as Mr Gallagher's cohabitee at Warwick Road and his common law wife.
The prosecution also stated that during bugged conversations, Mr Gallagher was shown to asked Ms Attenborough to reconnoitre the "ring of steel" security cordon surrounding the City of London. Mr Gallagher, the prosecution said, had shown: that he had sympathies and connections with the Republican movement.
Mr Gallagher's barrister, Mr Stephen Kamlish, denied the prosecutions argument that his client was ever a member of the Provisional IRA or that he feared for his safety or reprisals by the organisation. Mr Kamlish argued that the evidence against Mr Gallagher was not strong. He told the court that during a taped interview following Mr Gallagher's arrest in Earls Court, London, last Monday, police officers had offered him £1 million pounds, a new identity and safe passage out of the country in exchange for information relating to the Heathrow mortar attack.
Mr Kamlish described Mr Gallagher, who was born in Glasgow, as a recovering alcoholic living on sickness benefit. He also told the court that Mr Gallagher had many family links in Britain and Co Donegal.