The victims of the Guildford pub bombings carried out by the IRA nearly 48 years ago were unlawfully killed by a powerful time bomb planted by a courting couple , a coroner rules.
has said that the five people, including four teenage soldiers, who died in the guildford pub bombings in october 1974, were unlawfully killed. the ira detonated bombs at two pubs in the surrey town which were known to be used by soldiers. at the inquest the coroner said the main bomb was probably planted by a young couple who were never identified, and it was part of a wider conspiracy. duncan kennedy reports. the coroner richard travers today described this as a violent and devastating blast, followed by darkness, panic and confusion. privates caroline slater and ann hamilton, guardsmen william forsyth and john hunter, and a civilian, paul craig, had, mr travers concluded, been unlawfully killed by the ira. the inquest has been all about filling in the details of what happened in this former pub, 48 years ago. the coroner concluded that the device went off behind this