Frank Kerr murder accused appears in court

A 60-year-old Jonesborough man has been given £5,000 bail after being charged with the murder of a Newry postal worker 25 years after a bloody Royal Mail robbery. 

James Seamus Fox, of Carwamen Road, is also charged with with possession of a firearm, robbery and being a member of a proscribed organisation in November 10, 1994.

Over £130k was stolen in the IRA 9.40am heist.

The defendant voluntarily attended a PSNI interview following disclosure of the nature of the question in April.

Delays in the arrest and interview were due to the illness of the previous investigating officer. 

A total of 19 interviews were carried out over the last two days with the accused “remaining silent”. 

Prosecution has now applied for a high court appeal on the bail and £2k cash surety granted at Newry magistrates court this afternoon. 

Defence referred to high profile Sinn Fein representatives including Newry and Armagh MP Mickey Brady who were present in support at the court this morning (Friday). 

The magistrate heard in cross- examination of the DI, that Mr Fox ”strenuously denied the charges”.

The court heard that the defendant, a former resident of the Republic of Ireland, had lived in the south Armagh area for 17 years and had close ties to the Drumintee GAC. 

“He has known the nature of the police investigation for some time and he had not gone into hiding,” said defence. 

“He is a supporter of the peace process and regularly meets with high level PSNI officers in meetings about policing in the community,” added the barrister. 

Detectives from the PSNI’s Legacy Investigations Branch brought the charges against the man following his arrest. 

An investigating officer told the court he could connect the accused to the charges and opposed bail on fear of flight and concerns over interfering with witnesses. 

DNA evidence on recovered Royal Mail uniforms used by the robbers at the time of the murder have now linked Mr Fox to the charges, the court heard. 

Camlough man, Frank Kerr, 52, was shot in the neck as he carried out his day’s work at the Royal Mail sorting office on Clanrye Avenue/ Edward Street. 

The daytime killing of the south Armagh man took the “first victim of peace” following the August 1994 ceasefire by the IRA.

A group of IRA member drove into the sorting office unmasked and dressed in Royal Mail uniform to carry out the cash robbery. 

Mr Kerr had attempted to prevent the robbers from taking cash a pistol was fatally fired. 

At the time the IRA admitted its members were involved in the raid on the Newry office, but denied it was a breach of the ceasefire.

The collapsed HET team had been investigating the Troubles time murder before it closed down with suspects thought to have been identified. 

Over 20 years previously, Mr Kerr had been abducted by the IRA in 1973, but was released safely some time later unharmed. He never spoke of his ordeal. 

 District judge Eamonn King alluded to the voluntary nature of the interviews and the first arrest being 25 years later as he consented to bail.

The bail appeal case is expected to be heard in Belfast high court on Monday. 

The charge case is adjourned to September 4.

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