Northern Ireland

Man to go on trial over 1996 IRA bombing of British barracks in Germany

A man is to go on trial later this month in connection with an IRA attack on a British army barracks in Germany in 1996
A man is to go on trial later this month in connection with an IRA attack on a British army barracks in Germany in 1996 A man is to go on trial later this month in connection with an IRA attack on a British army barracks in Germany in 1996

A Belfast man will go on trial later this month over allegations he took part in an IRA attack on a British army barracks in Germany more than 20 years ago.

James Anthony Oliver Corry (48) was extradited by Irish authorities last December facing attempted murder charges.

It has been reported that the Osnabruck state court has said he will go on trial on July 26.

Prosecutors allege Corry was in an IRA unit that fired three mortar shells onto the grounds of the Quebec Barracks in Osnabruck on June 28 1996.

Only one of the shells detonated near a filling station, damaging buildings and vehicles.

Although dozens of British army personnel were on the site at the time, no-one was injured.

At the time Osnabruck was the British army’s largest base outside Britain.

One man has already been convicted of taking part in the attack in December 2003.

Former British soldier Michael Dickson, from Greenock in Scotland, was charged with attempted murder.

He insisted he was innocent and was never a member of the IRA.

During his trial prosecutors had claimed he was part of a five-member ‘active service unit’ which carried out the attack.

Dickson had once served in an engineering unit at the German base.

He was detained in the Czech Republic and extradited to Germany to stand trial.

In 1996 Co Tyrone woman Roisin McAliskey, who was four months pregnant, was also arrested on an extradition warrant issued by German authorities accusing her of involvement in the attack.

Ms McAliskey, a daughter of former Mid Ulster MP Bernadette Devlin, later gave birth to a daughter while awaiting extradition.

However, in 1998 British home secretary Jack Straw ruled she should not be extradited on health grounds.

In May 2007 she was arrested on a European arrest warrant, again over alleged involvement in the mortar attack.

She was released on bail and the extradition application was later refused by a Belfast court.