Danny McNamee

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Gilbert "Danny" McNamee (b. 29 September 1960^[1]) is a former electronic engineer from Crossmaglen, Northern Ireland, who was wrongly convicted in 1987 of conspiracy to cause explosions, including the Provisional Irish Republican Army's (IRA) Hyde Park bombing in 1982.^[2]

McNamee was arrested on 16 August 1986 at his home in Crossmaglen by the British Army and Royal Ulster Constabulary, then flown to London and charged with conspiracy to cause explosions.^[1] At his trial at the Old Bailey he denied even having sympathy for the IRA, and no evidence was presented at his original trial that he had any paramilitary links. However, his fingerprint was found on electronic circuits in an arms cache that was linked to the Hyde Park bombing. At his trial he explained that he may have handled the circuits when working for a previous employer, which he did not know had IRA connections.^[3] After five hours of deliberation by the jury, McNamee was found guilty on all charges and sentenced to 25 years in prison.^[1]

In September 1994, McNamee was one of five IRA men who escaped from Whitemoor Prison, shooting and wounding a prison warder as they did so, before being captured two hours later.^[4]

In 1997 his case was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Criminal Cases Review Commission, and his conviction was overturned on 17 December 1998 because of other, much more prominent, fingerprints on the same circuits, belonging to known IRA bomb-maker Desmond Ellis, which were not disclosed at McNamee's original trial.^[3] The retrial judges also stated “the Crown makes a strong case that the appellant [McNamee] was guilty of a conspiracy to cause explosions.” They added that despite the quashing of convictions, “It does not follow that the appellant is innocent of the charge brought against him or that he has served 11 years’ imprisonment for a crime which it has been found he did not commit.”^[5] Supporters of the campaign to clear his name included the comedian Jeremy Hardy.^[2]

In February 1999, McNamee read the IRA Roll of Honour at the Burns and Moley commemoration and the following month he sat with the Caraher family during the trial of Michael Caraher and other members of the Provisional IRA South Armagh Brigade sniper team.^[1]

[edit] References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Harnden, Toby (1999). Bandit Country. Coronet Books, pp. 330-335. ISBN 0340717378. 
2. ^ ^{a b} McNamee's 11-year campaign for justice. BBC News (17 December 1998). Retrieved on February 27, 2007.
3. ^ ^{a b} McNamee Case Referred to Court of Appeal. BBC (1997). Retrieved on February 27, 2007.
4. ^ Prisoners sue over 'jailbreak injuries'. BBC News (10 April 2000). Retrieved on February 27, 2007.
5. ^ John Steele (18 December 1998). Irishman jailed for Hyde Park bomb plot wins appeal. The Telegraph. Retrieved on February 27, 2007.