Bail opposed in car bomb case

A man accused of conspiring to bomb the Northern Ireland headquarters of the British army was linked to the fatal explosions …

A man accused of conspiring to bomb the Northern Ireland headquarters of the British army was linked to the fatal explosions by a road tax document, it was alleged in the High Court in Belfast yesterday.

A Crown lawyer was opposing a bail application by Mr Michael Rogan (36), of Easton Avenue, Cliftonville, Belfast.

Warrant was Officer James Bradwell was killed and 37 people injured in the double bomb attack at Thiepval Barracks, Lisburn, on October 7th.

The Crown lawyer said two bombs exploded in two cars driven into the barracks earlier that day. The second was in a bred Volvo estate car which was sold-on June 4th for £5,100 to an unknown person.

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It was taxed two days later and a preliminary forensic report on the tax document "would tend to show that the chances of the document being written by someone other than Rogan are remote," said the lawyer.

He said the first bomb was in a gold-coloured Volvo, which was sold for £3,850 to an unknown person on September 12th. On that day, a witness could place Mr Rogan in a building society office in Belfast where he withdrew £2,200.

Counsel for Mr Rogan applied for an adjournment.

Mr Justice Shiel said he would adjourn the application generally and directed that a copy of the forensic report be supplied to defence lawyers within seven days.