Bomb attack on RUC station: Co Tyrone man Paul Campbell appears in court

As the Crown opened its case against Paul Campbell, the non-jury Diplock trial heard the defendant’s blood was located in the back seat of a local priest’s car following the attack in March 1997.

Campbell was arrested in October 2015 at Portadown train station, and has since denied involvement in the bomb attack.

He appeared at Belfast Crown Court today, where a prosecuting barrister said it was the Crown’s intention to “clearly establish” Campbell was one of the bombers who was shot by a soldier in the immediate aftermath of the attack on the police station, and who fled the scene after jumping into the back seat of a priest’s car.

The 41-year old, from The Mills in Coalisland, has been charged with causing an explosion likely to endanger life, and possessing an improvised explosive device with intent to endanger life, on March 26, 1997. He has denied both offences.

The prosecutor said that on the evening in question, a number of soldiers dressed in plain clothes were undertaking a surveillance operation in the Coalisland area regarding suspected terrorist activity.

One of the soldiers - known as Soldier A - was in a car park near the Heritage Centre when he noticed two men coming down an alleyway which led to the town’s RUC station with what appeared to be an object in their hands.

The soldier claimed the pair “appeared to be carrying the object carefully” and were running down the road looking like they were “trying not to spill a pint of beer.”

Seconds later a grenade was thrown at the perimeter wall at the rear of the police station, and Soldier A said he saw the same two men sprinting out of the alleyway.

He said he issued a warning for the two men to stop and was “absolutely content” they had caused the explosion. The soldier said he shouted “Army, Army, Army”, then raised his gun - and after seeing the men rummaging around their waistbands, he felt his life was in danger and opened fire.

One man was shot in the chest and fell at the scene, whilst the other ran towards a white Toyota Corolla parked at Limeside Quay. Soldier A said he opened fire on this man, and also at the car as it was driven from the scene.

As the wounded man lay injured in the street, members of the public began to arrive, with the crowd quickly becoming what the Crown described as “unruly and boisterous.” Soldier A and other colleagues began fearing for their safety, shots were fired into the air and they removed the injured man before leaving the scene.