16 years of waiting, an apology at last for the Guildford Four."He must now apologise to the Birmingham Six as well. If not, is he trying to imply that the Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven were innocent but I and the Birmingham Six are still guilty? I will be contacting Bertie Ahern before the end of the week." UK: It was one of the most notorious miscarriages of justice in British legal history. Three Belfast men and an English woman spent 15 years in prison after police fabricated confessions for the IRA bombing of the Horse and Groom pub in Guildford in 1974.
But even after their convictions were quashed in 1989, Gerry Conlon, Paul Hill, Paddy Armstrong and Carole Richardson, had spoken of the clinging stigma and the black hole of post-traumatic stress. Some felt there was a whispering campaign in the corridors of power that they had been freed on a technicality and a "cloud of suspicion" remained.
16 years after their release, and following years of campaigning by the moderate nationalist SDLP, Tony Blair said sorry for the miscarriage of justice in a TV recording from his Commons office. The public apology to both the Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven, who were wrongly imprisoned over the Guildford attack and other 1974 bombings in Woolwich, south-east London, followed pressure from the Irish prime minister, Bertie Ahern, in a meeting last week and a petition of 10,000 signatures.
The families said it was the "beginning of the end" of a healing process that had included breakdowns and addictions to drugs and alcohol. But they and others raised the question of whether Mr Blair would also apologise to several other innocent victims of miscarriages of justice over terrorist campaigns in the 1970s.
One member of the Birmingham Six, wrongly convicted over the IRA Birmingham pub bombings of 1975, immediately demanded an apology for all the innocent victims of the justice system. Paddy Hill, who now runs the Miscarriage of Justice Organisation in Scotland said: "It is nice to see the prime minister acknowledges the fact that people were innocent.
"He must now apologise to the Birmingham Six as well. If not, is he trying to imply that the Guildford Four and the Maguire Seven were innocent but I and the Birmingham Six are still guilty? I will be contacting Bertie Ahern before the end of the week."
In his statement, Mr Blair said: "I recognise the trauma that the conviction caused the Conlon and Maguire families and the stigma which wrongly attaches to them to this day. I am very sorry that they were subject to such an ordeal and such an injustice."
The Maguire family were arrested after they were allegedly identified as being involved in the bomb plots. Annie Maguire, Gerry Conlon's aunt, a cleaner living in north London, was imprisoned along with her husband, Paddy, their two sons Vincent, 17, and Patrick, 13, her brother, Sean Smyth and a family friend, Patrick O'Neill.
Guiseppe Conlon, Gerry Conlon's father, who travelled to England to talk to solicitors about his son, was imprisoned with them. He had one lung, emphysema and had just undergone chemotherapy. He was given only Benylin as medication, and died in prison in 1980. All the convictions were overturned in 1991.
After a private meeting with Mr Blair, Gerry Conlon said the apology was overdue but exceeded expectations.
He said: "This hasn't ended for us. But today is the start of the end ... If you damage people and you can repair them, it is your duty to do that ....The good thing is that he has acknowledged it, and he accepts that we are in pain, that we are suffering terrible, terrible nightmares and terrible post-traumatic stress disorder ... It has been harder to clear our names than to get out of prison."
Mr Blair's apology came after a lengthy campaign by the SDLP which has been working with the Conlon family in west Belfast. After an exchange of letters, Mr Blair last year wrote privately to the SDLP leader Mark Durkan apologising for the miscarriage of justice. Mr Durkan told him it was not enough.
The Irish News in Belfast last month launched a petition signed by 10,000 people, including the Irish film director Jim Sheridan, whose Oscar-nominated film, In the Name of the Father, told the story of the Guildford Four. Daniel Day Lewis, who played Gerry Conlon, also signed.
Last week Mr Durkan and the Irish prime minister ,Bertie Ahern, pressed Mr Blair separately for an apology. Mr Durkan stressed yesterday that there was nothing unusual in the timing. Downing Street said the apology was not a political gesture, but the "decent thing to do".
Patrick Maguire, who was arrested at 13, said the apology was welcome but his childhood had been taken from him.
"I just became a number, 33892. Coming out of prison, that's when my other sentence started: no one believing in you. I became bitter and angry. A life of crime was to be my only outlet. Always putting on a brave face ... having trouble with the police for being one of the Maguire Seven for many years. I was at their mercy."
In his 30s he suffered breakdown and turned to drink and drugs. "I take up to 20 tablets a day and I have been told I will probably have to take most of them for the rest of my life," he said. "I wish sometimes that I was guilty so I wouldn't have to go through this, but I am not."
David Lidington, shadow secretary of state for Northern Ireland: said: "It is odd for the prime minister to single out these particular cases when there are other examples where convictions have been overturned, on both sides of the community in Northern Ireland. Are all of these now to be issued with public apologies by the prime minister?"
Where are they now? How the wrongly accused have fared after their release
The Guildford Four
Gerry Conlon, now 50, lives in England, is unable to work and is undergoing psychiatric treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder. He still suffers nightmares and flashbacks to prison and earlier turned to alcohol and drugs to "block out the memories".
Paul Hill, 49, married Courtney Kennedy, the daughter of the assassinated American attorney general, Bobby Kennedy, and niece of John F Kennedy, and moved to the US. In 2000, Tony Blair became the first British prime minister to apologise to the Guildford Four when he said sorry in a private letter to Paul Hill's wife.
Paddy Armstrong, 54, initially tried to settle into work but got caught up in the temptations of drink and gambling. He later married and settled in Dublin.
Carole Richardson, 48, was Paddy Armstrong's girlfriend when she was arrested. She was 17. She has kept a low profile since she was released and is now married with a daughter.
The Maguire Seven
Annie Maguire, from west Belfast, had been living in north London for almost 20 years when she was arrested. She worked as a cleaner. After her release she got a job working as a cleaner in a pub in north London. She now serves on community committees on her London housing estate.
Paddy Maguire, her husband, was a gas fitter from west Belfast who had served in the British army for three years in the 50s. He died two years ago.
Patrick Maguire, 44, Annie's son, was 13 when he was arrested. He is unable to work due to mental health problems arising from his time in prison. He lives in west London, has suffered breakdowns and is on medication.
Vincent Maguire, 47, Annie's son, was 17 when he was convicted. He says he has managed to cope psychologically and now drives a black cab in north-west London.
Guiseppe Conlon, Gerry Conlon's father, who had a history of bronchial problems, died in prison in 1980. He was arrested after coming to London to talk to solicitors about his son.
Sean Smyth, Annie Maguire's brother, was working in London when he was arrested. He now lives in Belfast.
Patrick O'Neill, a friend of the Maguires, was arrested at the Maguires' home after coming round to tell them his wife had gone into labour in hospital. "He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time," Vincent Maguire said.
By Angelique Chrisafis posted 11 February 05
Related:
Blair apologises to Guildford Four family
Gerry Conlon, who was jailed for the Guildford pub bombings of 1974, then released after 15 years having had his conviction quashed, outside parliament with his family.
