A SELF STYLED leader of the Scottish National Liberation Army was refused bail at the Special Criminal Court in Dublin yesterday after the court heard that his activity centred on "threats and intimidation" against English people living in Scotland.
Det Insp Peter Maguire, who opposed bail, said the "central core" of Mr Adam Busby's activities had been "threats and intimidation to English people living in Scotland and to people in political life in the UK". He believed that Mr Busby would not stand trial if granted bail and would interfere with and intimidate witnesses if given bail.
Mr Busby (48), a native of Paisley, Scotland, with an address at Upper Gardiner Street, Dublin, was due to stand trial last week on a number of charges but the case was adjourned.
The charges allege that on a date unknown between January 1st, 1995, and March 10th, 1995, he had under his control improvised incendiary devices contained in envelopes addressed to Labour Party leader Mr Tony Blair, to Labour Party headquarters at Walworth Road, in London, and to the Shadow Scottish Secretary, Mr George Robertson MP, in Inverness, intending to use the devices to damage property.
He is also charged with the unlawful possession of an explosive substance, namely an improvised incendiary device, in envelopes addressed to Mr Blair, the Labour Party and Mr Robertson on a date unknown between the same dates.
Mr Busby is also charged with sending a message of a menacing character " to the Press Association in Glasgow, to Aberdeen Journals, Aberdeen, to the Daily Record in Glasgow and to the Glasgow Herald on January 5th, 1995.
Mr Busby was one of 16 high security prisoners who were released and rearrested earlier this month after confusion over the delisting of Judge Dominic Lynch from the Special Criminal Court.
Fifteen of the prisoners have brought applications to the Highs Court challenging their continued detention but Mr Busby is not among those prisoners. His trial was adjourned last week pending the outcome of the High Court proceedings by the other prisoners.
Det Insp Maguire said Mr Busby had been living in Ireland since 1983 and had successfully fought proceedings seeking his extradition to Britain. The inspector said he had also investigated 68 incidents of intimidation against different people in Scotland between December 1994 and April 1995.
He said he recognised Mr, Busby's voice from tape recordings of a number of phone messages, including one to a Scottish councillor telling him he should "expect a personal visit". The caller used the codeword "Spear" and purported to act on behalf of the SNLA. It was the same codeword used in the offences which Mr Busby faces in Dublin.
Det Const John Picqersquill of Northumbrian police said Mr Busby was one of a group of Scotsmen who went to Beiwick on Tweed in 1982 and daubed nationalist slogans.
Mr Justice Barr said the court accepted the evidence of Det Insp Maguire and Det Const Picqersquill and accepted their grounds for opposing bail were well founded. The court refused bail and remanded Mr Busby in custody until January 15th.