Mobile telephones belonging to a man feared murdered by the Provisional IRA were used to contact police in the North before he went missing, it was confirmed today. Prosecutors at the trial of four men accused of plotting to murder Northern Ireland security force members accepted missing Armagh man Gareth O'Connor had the mobiles.
Another phone number, just a single digit out from one of the 24-year-old bodybuilder's, was in possession of the police, Belfast Crown Court was told. Records of calls made to a station in Armagh from O'Connor were central to defence claims he drew the four Co Tyrone men into a trap.
As well as plotting to murder, they have been accused of possessing a primed rocket launcher when they were arrested at Coalisland in February 2002. Charges of Real IRA membership were dropped against the men after trial judge Mr Justice Girvan controversially ruled the terrorist organisation behind the 1998 Omagh bomb massacre is not an illegal organisation.
Britain's most senior legal adviser, Attorney General Lord Goldsmith, has pledged to appeal the decision. The remaining offences are denied by the accused: Kevin Murphy, 34, of Altmore Park, from Coalisland, Donald Mullan , 33, of Firmount Park, Dungannon, Sean Dillon, 27, from Roughan Way in Coalisland and Brendan O'Connor of Cavanoneill Road, Pomeroy.
They claim O'Connor lured them into police hands after they agreed to carry out a burglary with him.
The defence produced records which included numbers under the names `Arms' and `Muscles' - references to O'Connor. With the defence pressing for more details, arguments were made by both sides during a Public Interest Immunity application.
Gordon Kerr QC for the Crown then disclosed: "The prosecution accept that the two mobile phone numbers referred to as `Arms' and `Muscles' are mobile phones relating to Gareth O'Connor.
"The mobile phone number that is one digit away from `Muscles' is a phone which was in the possession of police."
Mr Kerr also agreed that two landlines contacted from O'Connor's mobile were at Armagh police station. The missing man has not been seen since he failed to report to grdaí at Dundalk a year ago.
He was supposed to check in as part of bail conditions over charges of being a Real IRA member.
Although the Provisionals deny killing him, Northern Ireland chief constable Hugh Orde and his family believe the terror group was responsible. As the trial ended for the day, Mr Kerr added that there was no police intelligence relating to Brendan O'Connor's involvement in the offences before his arrest.
Both sides are due to make their closing submissions on Monday.
PA