Cummings, Christopher

Christopher Cummings was convicted at Belfast Crown Court in 1980 on one count of causing an explosion outside a branch of the Ulster Bank in Stewartstown, County Tyrone on New Year’s Eve 1978, and two counts of being a member of a proscribed organisation. 

Mr Cummings was interviewed by police several times. Mr Cummings did not sign any statement presented to him by Police.  

Police claimed he made admissions about the bombing and his connections to the Provisional IRA.  

At trial the prosecution relied on these Police interviews and unsigned written statements, and the defence argued the statements had been fabricated. The defence argument wasn’t accepted, and Mr Cummings was sentenced to 16 years’ imprisonment, reduced to 12 years on appeal. He was released from prison in the late 1980s. 

Mr Cummings applied to the CCRC in 2018 making several arguments about his conviction. The CCRC made a provisional decision not to refer the case.  

However, Mr Cummings’ representatives obtained a new expert report which supported their contention that the Police statements could not be relied upon. The CCRC also identified new information about the previous conduct of some of the interviewing officers. 

After further analysis, the CCRC concluded that there was a real possibility the Court of Appeal would not uphold Mr Cummings’ conviction.  

The CCRC referred the conviction in October 2024.