The victims of the Guildford pub bombings carried out by the IRA nearly 48 years ago were unlawfully killed by a powerful time bomb planted by a “courting couple”, a coroner has ruled.
Soldiers Caroline Slater, 18, William Forsyth, 18, John Hunter, 17 and Anne Hamilton, 19, and civilian Paul Craig, 21, died and 65 people were injured in the blast – carried out by terrorists at the height of the Northern Troubles in Ireland – at the Horse and Groom pub in Surrey on 5 October 1974.
The bomb, which went off at around 8.50pm, was the equivalent of 18 sticks of dynamite and was believed to have been planted in the pub by a man and woman, the Surrey Coroner said on Thursday.
Detective Inspector Richard Travers, closing the inquest, said: “The bomb contained approximately four and a half kilograms of high explosive based on nitroglycerin and was placed under a seat in the public house some time after it was opened at 5.30pm.
“None of them were personally attacked, rather the public house and the area they were sitting in was attacked because it was popular and crowded with military personnel.
“My very sincere condolences go out to the families and friends of all those who died as a result of this horrific act of terrorism.”
The court heard that the four war victims were recruits who were enjoying their first Saturday night off to socialize while Mr Craig was friends with someone in the pub.
A view from the outside of the pub after the attack
(PA archive)
There were about 120 people in the pub when the “fierce, intense and devastating” explosion went off.
Mr Travers continued: “There was a loud bang and a bright flash emanating from the main alcove, followed by darkness, dust, panic, chaos and confusion.
“A number of witnesses in the main alcove also described an electric shock sensation which could not have been caused by the explosion and which I believe was probably the result of live electrical cables falling from the ceiling.
“It must have been terrifying.”
He went on to say that the device was detonated by an “electrically triggered circuit” and was a time bomb that ticked quietly.
He said the bomb would have been an “enormous, unstoppable force” and “extremely traumatic and disorienting”.
This caused a wall and a fireplace in another room to explode, obliterating parts of the building and causing the victims to fall into the basement.
Mr Travers said: “I am satisfied by the totality of the evidence that the bomb was probably planted by a young man and woman, often referred to as a ‘courting couple’.
“This couple was seen in the main alcove of the bench above where the bomb was placed.”
The inquiry did not have the scope to investigate who was responsible for the bomb, the composition of the explosive device or any claims that police had lied during the trial of the Guildford Four.
The blast left debris strewn across the street
(PA archive)
Retired police officer Robin Young said in evidence earlier this month that a “huge explosion” was followed by “complete confusion and mass hysteria” after the first of the two bombs.
He said he could see “bodies, a lot of debris and a mess” in the crater, with some victims “alive, screaming and shouting” inside.
Retired ambulance driver William Edwards, from The Shoe, a village in Wiltshire, recalled treating one burn victim, adding: “It looked like his clothes had just been taken off.”
It was also described as a “bloodbath and utter mayhem”.
Mr Craig was killed almost immediately, while Private Hamilton, Private Slater and Guardsman Hunter died between five and 15 minutes later.
Guardsman Forsyth died two hours later in hospital, all suffering “very serious blast injuries”.
Eleven people, the Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven, were found guilty of the atrocity, but their convictions were later overturned.
The incident and its aftermath inspired the 1993 film In the Name of the Father, starring Oscar-winning actor Daniel Day-Lewis.
In 1976, IRA members Brendan Dowd and Martin Joseph O’Connell admitted to carrying out the bombings but were never charged as they had both been jailed in the 1970s for other crimes and released during peacetime process in Northern Ireland.
Mr Travers added: “I find there is nothing specific about the date of the attack or the choice of pub that would have made the bombings reasonably foreseeable or preventable.”
Detective Chief Constable Nev Kemp, of Surrey Police, speaking outside the court after the closing, said: “Alongside the discovery process, we have examined all the material and assessed it to assess whether a re-investigation is a viable option.
“We’re also going to have to look at the materials and the evidence that comes from this trial and this proceeding, and it’s a complex process that we’re going through.”
“No date has yet been set for this to be finalised, but once completed, Surrey Police will consider whether a re-investigation is a viable option.”
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