Birmingham pub bombings inquest ‘must address identity of killers’

The unresolved mystery of who was behind the Birmingham pub bombings must be addressed in the victims’ inquests, their families have argued in court.

Campaigners have started a judicial review to challenge coroner Peter Thornton QC’s decision to exclude the issue of "the perpetrators" from the inquests into the 1974 killings.

Twenty-one people died and 180 others were injured when two city centre pubs were bombed on the evening of 21 November and some of the bereaved families have said they would "no longer participate" in the inquests without the perpetrator issue being included.

Relatives and supporters around the UK have raised £20,000, enabling them to fight the judicial review into the coroner’s controversial decision.

Campaigner Julie Hambleton, who was 11-years-old when she lost her 17-year-old sister Maxine in the bombings, told Sky News it was another "seismic day" for the families.

"It was a must", she said.

"We had to challenge the coroner’s decision because the perpetrators must be bought into scope because if they are not bought into scope there is no point having an inquest – it will be null and void."

In written submissions, the coroner explained it was not mandatory for him to consider who was behind the bomb.

The coroner also pointed out enormous amounts of material would be required and that the assessment of perpetrators would be measured in years not months.

"Thus the many years of expensive and exhaustive endeavour would not result in the claimants’ principal goal: a public conclusion about who bombed Birmingham.

"That aim is entirely legitimate and understandable. But it is not one that these inquests can achieve."

The 10 families represented in the court action argue that the coroner failed to fully consider whether he had a duty to consider the identities of the people responsible.

In 1975, a group of Irishmen known as the "Birmingham Six" were jailed over the bombing but the convictions were quashed on appeal in 1991.

Outside court in London after their release, one of the men, Paddy Hill, said: "The police told us from the start they knew we hadn’t done it. They didn’t care who had done it."

In July this year, a self-confessed former IRA member Michael Hayes admitted he was the man who helped build the bombs, but refused to say who had planted them.

The families believe the current inquests represent the "first and last time" that a fully independent investigation can realistically take place and finally establish the truth.

Last month, on the 43rd anniversary of the bombings, the victims were posthumously awarded Freedom of the City of Birmingham.

The new inquests are on hold pending the result of the judicial review, which is expected to conclude on Thursday.

(c) Sky News 2017: Birmingham pub bombings inquest ‘must address identity of killers’