Ex-IRA man admits he was 'lucky' to be cleared over Hyde Park bombing

by · Mail Online

Former IRA terrorist Dessie Ellis has admitted in a new Mail podcast launching today that he was 'lucky' to be cleared over his alleged role in the dual bomb attack on London in 1982 that left 11 people dead.

The ex-bombmaker, 71, was extradited to Britain in 1990 to face charges of building the devices that killed 11 soldiers. 

On the morning of July 20, 1982, a nail bomb was detonated in a car in Hyde Park as soldiers of the Household Cavalry were passing on their horses, seven of which died. 

Two hours later, a second device exploded underneath the bandstand in Regent's Park, as members of the Royal Green Jackets were performing to a crowd. 

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Mail's executive editor in Ireland, John Lee, on From Bomb to Ballot: The History of Sinn Féin, the one-time TV repair man, now 71, says he was acquitted because of a 'loophole'.

Former IRA terrorist Dessie Ellis has admitted he was 'lucky' to be cleared over his role in the dual bomb attack on London in 1982 that left 11 people dead
On the morning of July 20, 1982, a nail bomb was detonated in a car in Hyde Park as soldiers of the Household Cavalry were passing on their horses. Four soldiers and seven horses died

He says: 'Because my prints were in a certain dump that I was connected to incidents in England, that was what they were trying to prove. 

'But there was a loophole that you had to be made fully aware of where items were going and we used the argument to say that items that were found in England, if I had had my hands on them, I couldn't tell where they were going to go. 

'I got acquitted in the Old Bailey and I was sitting there, and there was a guy sitting over reading the paper and the big headline on the paper was "This man won the lotto."

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And one of the special branch officers says, "I don't know which is the luckiest, you or him"... and I just said, "maybe me". 

IRA terrorist John Downey was ruled by a judge to have been partly responsible for the Hyde Park attack but was never convicted after it emerged he had been assured by the Metropolitan Police in a letter that he would not be prosecuted. 

No one else has ever been convicted in connection with the bombing.

Queen Camilla's ex husband, Andrew Parker Bowles, was the commander of Household Cavalry when the attack took place.

The bomb had been surrounded by hundreds of four and six-inch nails so that it would cause maximum damage when it went off.

As well as those who were killed, the other soldiers in the procession were among at least 51 people - including civilians and police officers - who were injured.

The members of the Household Cavalry were taking part in their daily Changing of the Guard procession from their barracks in Knightsbridge when they were hit by the blast.

Mr Ellis, is now a Sinn Fein politician who has served as a member of parliament in the Republic of Ireland since 2011. 

Two hours later, a second device exploded underneath the bandstand in Regent's Park, as members of the Royal Green Jackets were performing to a crowd
The carcasses of the horses of the Household Cavalry lie in the road in Hyde Park after the horrendous attack
The road is seen being cleaned of blood and debris after the bombing in Hyde Park on July 20, 1982. As well as those who died, dozens of people were injured
The members of the Household Cavalry were taking part in their daily Changing of the Guard procession from their barracks in Knightsbridge when they were hit by the blast. Above: The aftermath
Two hours after the 10.43am Hyde Park explosion, a second bomb that had been planted underneath the bandstand in Regent's Park went off as 30 military bandsmen of the Royal Green Jackets were performing. Seven bandsmen lost their lives

Asked in the astonishing new podcast what his exact role was in the Irish Republican Army, Mr Ellis says: 'Well, I don't want to go into too much, but I'd say, look, I was in the Republican movement. 

'I had a role in the Republican movement and that role, I fulfilled to the best of my ability. And, it was, I suppose, successful to a certain point.'

In 1983, Mr Ellis was sentenced to ten years in prison in Ireland after being found guilty of possessing materials used to make explosive devices.

After being released from prison, he reported back to the IRA but then decided to go into the politics because it was 'too hot' to remain a criminal. 

He says: 'Well, I reported straight back in, first off, to the Republican movement. 

IRA terrorist John Downey, who was ruled by a judge to have been partly responsible for the attack, was never convicted after it emerged he had been assured by the Metropolitan Police in a letter that he would not be prosecuted. No one else has ever been convicted in connection with the bombing
The Daily Mail's front page the day after the bombings in Hyde Park and Regent's Park

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'And then, after a period, I decided that I was just far too hot that I couldn't move without having a problem. 

'So I then decided, then, at that stage, and we sort of collectively decided that I would go into politics.' 

During the shocking podcast interview, the politician revealed that he does not have regrets about his past activities and says the prospect of a united Ireland is now 'inevitable'. 

'I'm a great believer in, you make decisions, you stand by them, you don't sit down and regret them,' he says. 

'There'll be a lot of things that you would be, how would you say, feel should never happened, but, and then there's a lot of things that should have happened. 

'And we are working towards a united Ireland and we're at a point now where that's inevitable. 

'It's into the future, but it's inevitable that we'd see a united Ireland. And that's been my ultimate goal.'

All seven episodes of From Bomb to Ballot: the history of Sinn Fein are available from today.