NEWRY, Northern Ireland – In a high-profile case, the trial of a man accused of the 1994 murder of Newry postal worker Frank Kerr is currently underway at Craigavon Crown Court. Mr. Kerr, 54, was tragically killed during a robbery at a sorting office in the city, just months following the IRA ceasefire in 1994. The IRA later admitted involvement in his killing. James Seamus Fox, 64, of Carewamean Road in Jonesborough, is facing trial for the murder, along with charges of stealing £131,000, possession of a firearm, and membership in a proscribed organization.
The trial is expected to last three weeks and is being heard in a Diplock no-jury trial before Mr. Justice Fowler. The case was reopened in 2019 after a re-examination of evidence recovered from the fatal robbery revealed DNA connections to Mr. Fox.
In outlining the prosecution’s case, it was revealed that on the morning of November 10, 1994, a routine delivery of cash arrived at Newry’s postal sorting office, with more than £232,000 delivered. Frank Kerr was counting the money in the Registered Letter Enclosure when a post office van arrived at the gates. This was the beginning of a tragic event that led to Mr. Kerr’s untimely death.
After detailing the events of the robbery, including armed men tying up security guards and staff being detained at gunpoint, the prosecution revealed evidence of a Renault vehicle seen near the murder scene and subsequent confrontations and arrests. This evidence was used to argue that the robbery was a professionally-planned, high-risk raid by a group of individuals with inside information. The court heard that blood stains and DNA evidence linked Mr. Fox to the robbery.
The trial will continue to explore the events surrounding the robbery and the killing of Frank Kerr, shedding light on the tragic events that took place in Newry in 1994.