Guildford pub bomb victims let down by police, relative says

The sister of a soldier killed in the 1974 Guildford pub bombs has criticised police for not reopening the case.

Cassandra Hamilton said more evidence on the IRA atrocity emerged at a recent inquest, and she thought that might prompt a fresh police inquiry.

After the Guildford Four were wrongly-jailed in 1975, two men claimed responsibility. The Four were freed in 1989 but no-one else was prosecuted.

Surrey Police said evidence on the 1974 bombings was still being assessed.

Ms Hamilton said her sister had been "let down" by the police, and she also criticised the government as her family "seemed to hit barriers all the time".

The attacks at the Horse and Groom and Seven Stars killed four soldiers and a civilian and led to wrongful convictions of 11 people - the Guildford Four and Maguire Seven.

In 1976, IRA men Brendan Dowd and Joe O'Connell - members of the IRA's Balcombe Street active service unit (ASU) - said they bombed Guildford.

Their confessions, which have been seen by the BBC, said three men and two women attacked the pubs using bombs made at a safe house in Waldemar Avenue, London.

An inquiry by Sir John May confirmed officers from Surrey and the Met did not question Dowd and O'Connell over Guildford, but did not criticise police.

The inquest did not have the scope to explore who was behind the attack, but Surrey coroner Richard Travers said the main bomb was probably planted by a young "courting couple". He said: "Their identities fall outside the scope of these inquests and are unlikely ever to be known."

In 1994, Sir John's report said how the Crown's case had been that wrongly-convicted Paddy Armstrong and Carole Richardson were the "courting couple". He wrote: "Dowd's evidence was that he, and not Armstrong, was the male partner in that same couple."

Ms Hamilton has repeatedly asked why Dowd and O'Connell were not questioned.

The pair were already in jail when they confessed, but Ms Hamilton said it made no difference, adding: "They should have got longer sentences."

Both were released under the Good Friday Agreement.

She said: "We have all given up. It's been a waste of time, a waste of a year, a waste of tax payers' money, (and) a waste of the court's time."

She said: "It comes back to the same question. When they let the Guildford Four out, why was it not reopened then? It never closed. Why was it not carried on? Was it not important?"

Christopher Stanley, from KRW Law, representing the family, said: "There remain many questions surrounding the bombings which were not explored during the inquest due to its limited scope.

"Specifically, we refer to the issue of perpetrators and the admissions made by members of the Balcombe Street IRA ASU regarding the bombings."

KRW Law have written to Deputy Chief Constable Nev Kemp to request a timeline on making a decision, with a summary of actions to date.

Guildford Four defence lawyer Alastair Logan endorsed Ms Hamilton's call for a reinvestigation, adding: "Reinvestigation doesn't mean they're looking for someone new.

"They can look back and understand why they didn't do their job in the first place."

Surrey Police said they had nothing to add to their statement issued after the inquest concluded in July.

Mr Kemp previously said the force was assessing material it held "to consider whether reinvestigation is a viable option".

He said: "That assessment is complex and remains on ongoing. It will also need to take into account evidence that has come from these proceedings.

"No timescale has been set for it to be finalised, but once complete it will be considered by the Force and we will provide an update when this has been concluded."

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