McNamee, Gilbert

Gilbert McNamee was convicted in October 1987 of conspiring with others to cause explosions likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property. Mr McNamee received a sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment.

The CCRC inherited an application for review of the conviction from the Home Office in March 1997.

An investigation found that a significant proportion of the fingerprints found on explosive devices and compounds were those of a convicted, self-confessed bomb-maker.

This supported the defence’s claim that other individuals had been the prime makers of the explosive devices rather than, as the prosecution argued, Mr McNamee.

In addition, the CCRC obtained new information that cast significant doubt on the reliability of the expert evidence provided at trial and there had been substantial non-disclosure of fingerprint evidence to the defence.

The CCRC referred the conviction in July 1997.

The Court of Appeal quashed the conviction in December 1998.