THE TRIAL has opened of a man accused of sending hoax e-mails to Heathrow airport from a Dublin City Public Library computer claiming there were bombs on two flights to New York .
Adam Busby (61), Santry Lodge, Ballymun, Dublin, has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of sending hoax messages for the purpose of causing annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety at Charleville Mall Public Library, North Strand, on two dates in May 2006.
Dominic McGinn, prosecuting, told the jury in opening the case, that on May 8th, 2006, Heathrow airport media centre received an e-mail with the subject “bomb on aircraft” and text which claimed there was an explosive device on a plane which was at that time en route from Heathrow to New York.
He said a second e-mail was received by the media centre a week later on May 15th with the subject “Urgent bomb” and with text claiming that a bomb on a flight which was at that time en route to New York would explode before arrival.
The e-mails gave details of actual flight numbers for aircraft that were in the air at the time the messages were received.
Mr McGinn told the jury the prosecution would have to prove that the messages were sent by Mr Busby.
He said there would be technical evidence that the e-mails could be traced via an IP address to a computer owned by Dublin City Public Libraries.
He said the location of the computer could be further traced to Charleville Mall library where there were two computers available for public use. Mr McGinn said it was the State’s case that Mr Busby was signed in to use one of the computers at the time and date both e-mails were sent.
He said there would also be evidence from the librarian who knew Mr Busby and the jury would see CCTV footage.
The trial continues before Judge Desmond Hogan and a jury of five women and seven men.