A man admitted providing the Real IRA with the car used in the Omagh bombing, it was alleged during a bail hearing in the High Court in Belfast yesterday.
Anthony Joseph Donegan (34), a labourer from Afton Drive, Dundalk, Co Louth, was said to have told gardaí that he had stolen the car at Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan, three days before the car bombing. Twenty-nine people died in the Omagh blast on August 15th, 1998, and in the High Court in Belfast yesterday crown lawyer David Hopley said Mr Donegan's admission about stealing the car was made on June 21st, 1999, while in Garda custody.
"He said he had supplied the car to a dissident republican suspect and analysis of his mobile phone at the time shows he made contact with a known dissident Omagh bomb suspect," said Mr Hopley.
"He also was in contact with a known dissident suspect shortly after the explosion was reported."
Defence barrister Peter Irvine said: "It seems utterly surprising, if not incredulous, that that information would not have been provided to the PSNI. So at this stage one must be particularly circumspect about the nature and quality of the evidence against this applicant."
Mr Donegan, who has denied supplying the car, applied for bail in the High Court in Belfast by video link with Maghaberry Prison, where he has been on remand since February 9th.
Opposing bail, Mr Hopley said evidence had to be obtained from the Garda by way of an International Letter of Request and this would take some time.
Lord Justice Campbell said that taking all matters into consideration, he was still not satisfied that on a charge as grave as this the applicant would turn up and therefore he refused bail.