M62 coach bombing facts for kids

The M62 coach bombing happened on February 4, 1974, on the M62 motorway in northern England. A bomb, hidden by the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) in a bus, exploded. The bus was carrying off-duty British Armed Forces members and their families. Twelve people died, including nine soldiers and three civilians. Thirty-eight others were hurt.

Ten days after the bombing, a 25-year-old woman named Judith Ward was arrested. She was later found guilty of the M62 bombing and two other attacks. She stayed in prison until 1992. A court then found that her conviction was not safe. This was because government scientists had hidden important information from her lawyers.

Ward was set free in May 1992. She had spent over 17 years in prison. Her wrongful conviction is seen as a very big mistake in British legal history. The M62 coach bomb is known as one of the worst IRA attacks in mainland Britain.

The Bombing Event

The bus that was bombed was specially hired. It was taking British Army and Royal Air Force people on weekend leave. They were traveling to and from bases like Catterick Garrison and Darlington. This was happening because of a railway workers' strike.

The bus left Manchester late on Sunday, February 3. It was going about 60 miles per hour on the M62 motorway. It was heading to Catterick Garrison. Just after midnight, most people on the bus were sleeping. The bus was between junctions 26 and 27 of the M62. The bomb, hidden in a suitcase in the luggage area, exploded.

The explosion destroyed the back of the bus. It turned into a "tangle of twisted metal." Many injured people were stuck in the wreckage. The blast threw people and parts of the bus up to 250 yards away. No other vehicles were damaged, but a car behind the bus drove into the scattered pieces. The bus kept going for more than 200 yards. The driver, Roland Handley, who was 39 and hurt by glass, managed to stop the bus on the side of the road.

First Help After the Blast

One soldier who survived said he was blown out of the bus's emergency doors. He found himself on the ground looking at a "mangled wreck." He helped a 17-year-old girl with hurt legs. She was lying about 200 yards "back up the [motorway]." The girl kept screaming, "My God! The floor just opened up and I fell through!" as he helped her.

Another survivor, nine-year-old David Dendeck, woke up stuck in the bus. He heard his 14-year-old sister, Catherine, calling his name. He saw other survivors "screaming and running up the verge" next to the bus.

John Clark was one of the first drivers to stop and help. He saw a young man on the motorway with a badly hurt leg. He also saw a child's body. He said, "It was just absolutely... unbelievable. It was dark, so you couldn't see how bad the injuries really were, but it was the smell of it. It was absolutely total carnage."

The entrance hall of the nearby Hartshead Moor services was used as a quick first aid station. Doctors and nurses from nearby hospitals were called in to help.

Victims of the Bombing

The explosion killed eleven people right away. More than thirty others were hurt. One of the injured people died four days later. Among those who died were nine soldiers. Four of the soldiers were teenagers. Most of the soldiers who died were from Greater Manchester. Twelve other people on the bus were badly hurt, including a six-year-old boy who was severely burned.

Plaque in Oldham remembering the victims of the M62 coach bombing

One soldier killed was 23-year-old Corporal Clifford Haughton. His whole family also died: his wife, Linda (23), and their sons Lee (5) and Robert (2). They were sitting right above the bomb and died instantly.

Public Reaction

The M62 coach bombing was the worst attack in mainland Britain at that time. People and the news were very angry. The BBC called it "one of the IRA's worst mainland terror attacks." Newspapers like The Guardian called it an "IRA outrage."

In Northern Ireland, a group called the Ulster Defence Association started new attacks on Irish Catholics. They said their attacks would continue until the IRA stopped bombing in England. Within days, they had shot and killed three Catholic civilians and hurt eight others.

Politicians from all major parties demanded "swift justice." They wanted the people responsible to be caught quickly. Some even asked that Irish citizens entering Britain carry passports. The Secretary of State for Defence said these laws would be looked at.

The Investigation Begins

Police first said they were looking at all possibilities for the explosion. But soon, suspicion fell on the IRA. The IRA had started its campaign in England the year before. They also wanted the British Government to move four IRA members from English jails to Northern Ireland. These members were on a hunger strike.

The bomb was built in a way that was typical for the IRA. Pieces of the bomb's timer were found. They showed the bomb might have been set to go off up to an hour before it actually exploded. The bus had stopped in Oldham, Manchester Chorlton Street coach station, and Huddersfield to pick up people. This meant the bomb could have been placed at any of these stops. However, the timing of the explosion suggested it was unlikely to have been placed in Huddersfield.

Investigators wondered if the person who planted the bomb was part of a group in the UK. Or if they had traveled from Northern Ireland, like in a previous IRA bombing at the Old Bailey.

Judith Ward's Arrest

On February 14, at 6:30 a.m., police found Judith Teresa Ward, a 25-year-old English woman, in Liverpool city centre. She was trying to get out of the cold and rain. Her driving license was from Northern Ireland, and she had a letter from the Royal Ulster Constabulary. So, Ward was taken in for questioning.

Police soon found out the address on Ward's license was fake. They asked how she planned to travel to Ireland with little money. She said she would call a friend in Ireland to send her money. That evening, a scientist named Frank Skuse took samples from her hands and fingernails. Tests showed "faint traces" of chemicals used in explosives on one of her nails. Skuse also found traces of explosives on a bag and other items in a caravan where Ward had recently lived.

Police said that Ward, who had some mental health challenges, then said she had been part of the IRA since 1971. She claimed that "after [the M62 coach bombing] I just want out." The next day, she was moved to West Yorkshire Police for more questions about the M62 bombing.

Confessions and Doubts

The police investigation was led by Detective Chief Superintendent George Oldfield. This investigation was later found to be rushed and careless. Ward ended up saying she was responsible for the M62 bombing and two other explosions.

At first, Ward was questioned by two police officers. After their first interview, they thought she didn't know much about making bombs. But by 7:45 p.m., Ward had given a written confession. She said she was responsible for the M62 coach bombing. She was charged with planning to cause an explosion on the M62 motorway on February 18.

In her confessions, Ward said she was an "IRA volunteer." She claimed she put the bomb in the bus's luggage area at Manchester Chorlton Street coach station. She said the luggage area was already open. She put the bomb bag between "a few army issue bags." Then she "legged it" out of the station, expecting the bomb to go off in twenty minutes.

By February 25, investigators found that Ward was working with a traveling circus in Chipping Norton on February 3. Over a dozen people confirmed this. This meant Ward could not have put the bomb on the bus as she claimed. Records show that Ward then told a detective, "I want to change it. I didn't put the bomb on that bus." The detective replied, "Yes, I know that."

Ward then changed her story. She said she had taken the bomb from Derby to a house in Longsight, Manchester. Since the circus was going to Chipping Norton, she told the two people at the house they "would have to do" the bombing. Ward also said she knew something about another bombing at Latimer. The next day, she wrote a confession saying she transported explosives for the September 1973 Euston bombing.

Ward also claimed to have done many things for the IRA in Belfast and Britain. She said she was married to a dead IRA member and had a child with another. However, she had no strong links with the IRA. The IRA later said this was true.

The next month, Ward was shown a written copy of her first statement. She strongly denied parts of it. She said some claims were made up by investigators. But she did admit to making some false claims about carrying explosives because of pressure from a detective.

Judith Ward's Background

Ward was born in Stockport, England, on January 10, 1949. She was the second of five children. Her mother was English, and her father was Irish. Records show she was a lonely child from a difficult home.

After school in 1965, Ward trained to work with horses in Wiltshire, England. She then worked at a riding school in Ravensdale, County Louth, Ireland. She often traveled between Ravensdale, Wiltshire, and Stockport.

In February 1971, Ward joined the Women's Royal Army Corps (WRAC). She trained at Catterick Garrison for about four months. Then she moved to Aldershot, Hampshire, to work as a communications operator. Two months later, Ward left without permission and went back to Dundalk. She was briefly engaged there. She also lived for a short time using the name Teresa O'Connell.

The next year, Ward returned to England and left the WRAC. She worked briefly in a restaurant. Then she went back to Dundalk in August 1972 to work with horses again. She returned to England the next summer, staying with family in Stockport.

On August 26, 1973, Ward was found sleeping at Euston railway station and questioned. She then worked as a cleaner at a hotel near the Elephant and Castle. She left this job on November 10. That same day, Ward traveled to Ireland.

Life Before Arrest (January–February 1974)

In the weeks before her arrest, Ward lived a difficult life. She often slept around Euston station or hitchhiked to places like Cardiff. Less than two weeks before her arrest, Ward got a job working with horses for Chipperfields Circus. She started this job in Belle Vue, Manchester on January 26.

Soon after, the circus moved to the Cotswolds, arriving at Chipping Norton on February 3. That evening, Ward and some co-workers went to a local pub for several hours. The next day, Ward quit her job.

Ward's legal appeals said that before her arrest, she often slept near Euston station and Primrose Hill. She was with a man named Ernest Mayall and a "Welsh girl." She claimed she met them in London on February 8. Four days later, she and Mayall traveled by bus to Cardiff. Ward left her bags in a storage container. The next day, Ward hitchhiked from Cardiff to Liverpool. She arrived in Liverpool late on February 13. She was planning to travel to Newry, Northern Ireland, when she was arrested early the next day.

The Trial

Judith Ward's trial started on October 3, 1974, at Wakefield Crown Court. She was accused of fifteen crimes. These included twelve charges of murder for the M62 coach bombing. She was also charged with causing explosions at Euston railway station and the Latimer National Defence College. Ward said she was not guilty of any of the charges.

Even though Ward's confessions were later found to be forced and changed, the prosecution presented them as true. They said her confessions were "backed up by overwhelming scientific evidence."

The prosecutor, John Cobb, said Ward was an IRA agent involved in "major operations" in Britain. The case against her was mostly based on her own claims (which she had taken back). It also used weak circumstantial evidence and scientific evidence that was later found to be wrong. This scientific evidence came from tests done by Dr. Skuse and others.

To support their case, several witnesses said Ward had shown support for Irish republicanism. A police officer also said Ward had claimed to have "carried out assignments" for the IRA in 1973. On October 23, Ward repeated her claims about being married to Michael McVerry, which were not true.

Ward's lawyer, Andrew Rankin, said the scientific evidence could be explained by things getting mixed up. He called his client a "female Walter Mitty" who made up stories. He said she might have been seeking fame. Rankin pointed out how Ward's statements to the police were confusing and changed many times. He stressed that the IRA would not likely trust someone so careless. He also noted she had been noticed by police and the Army many times before 1974.

Ward's lawyers did not often question the accuracy of the scientists who said Ward's hands and items had traces of explosives. They argued that she might have accidentally gotten the traces from someone else. The prosecution witnesses disagreed with this.

Closing Arguments

In their final statements, the prosecutor John Cobb kept talking about the physical evidence. He said it proved Ward had handled explosives. He stressed that Dr. Skuse and other scientists were sure of their findings. Ward's confessions were also presented as her willing admissions of guilt. Cobb described Ward as a determined person whose only goal was to unite all of Ireland. He said others should also be charged, but that Ward was an important part of the crimes.

Ward's lawyer, Andrew Rankin, again argued that the explosive traces were from accidental mixing. He repeated that his client was not very capable and had a strong imagination. He also pointed out the many changes in her statements. Rankin asked the jury why Ward would not try to escape after the M62 bombing if she was truly active in the IRA. She had traveled to London and made no effort to hide her identity.

The Verdict

The jury thought about the case for five hours and forty minutes. On November 4, 1974, Ward was found guilty of all charges. She was sentenced to five years for the Euston bombing, and twenty years for the coach bombing. These sentences would run at the same time. She also received twelve life sentences for each person killed in the coach bombing. Plus, ten more years for the Latimer bombing. This meant she would have to serve at least thirty years in prison.

Ward showed no emotion when the verdict was read. But her family, who believed she was innocent, cried. She did not appeal her conviction, but she always said she was innocent while in prison. Her conviction was reviewed three times between 1985 and 1989. Each review found serious problems with the evidence and how the law was handled. But she remained in HM Prison Durham and then HM Prison Holloway.

Court of Appeal Hearing

On September 17, 1991, the Home Secretary sent Ward's case to the Court of Appeal. The main reasons were doubts about the scientific evidence from Dr. Skuse and others. Also, the prosecution had not shared important evidence with Ward's defense team, which they were legally supposed to do. Ward's appeal listed 43 pieces of evidence that had not been shown at her trial.

In May 1992, Ward's lawyers showed the big problems with the evidence used at her trial. Her lawyer, Michael Mansfield, said that a lot of evidence and information that showed her innocence was hidden. He also said that out of 63 interviews police had with Ward, only 34 were shown at trial.

The court also heard that touching things like lacquers or boot polish could give the same positive results for explosives. This information was known to scientists in 1974. But it was never shared at her first trial or in the years she was in prison.

Evidence at Ward's appeal also showed that police, scientists, and prosecutors had hidden many documents from the defense. The court also heard that Ward had a severe personality disorder. This came from being very lonely and insecure. Her confessions were obtained under great pressure. She just wanted to "be left alone."

The Court of Appeal decided that Ward's conviction was "a grave miscarriage of justice." They agreed that her confession was forced by police who were "under pressure to [obtain] a confession." Lord Justice Iain Glidewell said, "Our law does not permit a conviction to be secured by ambush."

Release from Prison

Ward was released on bail on May 11, 1992. Lord Justice Glidewell did not immediately drop the charges, but said her sentence was expected to be reversed. She left the courtroom to a positive public reaction. She had wrongly spent over seventeen years in prison. Ward was the last of eighteen innocent people wrongly found guilty of IRA attacks to be released.

When she left court, Ward shouted, "Eighteen years! Freedom! After eighteen years, it's brilliant!" She was then driven to a secret safe place. On June 4, her conviction was officially overturned. Ward later received money for her wrongful conviction.

Aftermath and Memorials

The M62 coach bombing led to much stricter anti-terrorism laws in Britain and Northern Ireland. These laws allowed police to hold terror suspects for up to seven days without charging them. They could also send them to Northern Ireland for trial in special courts.

A memorial for those killed in the M62 coach bombing was put up at Hartshead Moor service station. This is where many of the injured received first aid. Later, a larger memorial was built near the service station entrance. It is close to an English oak tree planted in 2009 to remember the victims. This memorial stone has a plaque with the names and ages of those who died.

The service station holds yearly memorial services. These services remember those killed, injured, and affected by the bombing. Mayors from nearby towns and members of the Royal British Legion often attend.

Memorial plaque at Hartshead Moor service station

A memorial plaque with the names and ages of the victims was also unveiled in Oldham in 2010. Oldham was the hometown of two of the people who died.

Judith Ward found it hard to live freely after her conviction was overturned. She did not get much support from society. In 1996, Ward said that before her release, she was just "given £35 and a hand-written note to produce at [the] DSS." She was released with no one to offer advice or support. She stayed with a lawyer, Gareth Peirce, until she found a safe home.

Ward later wrote a book called Ambushed: My Story. It tells about her life, conviction, and release. She became a campaigner for prisoners' rights.

In October 1985, Dr. Frank Skuse was told to retire. This happened after a TV show questioned his work. Within a year of his retirement, all 350 cases where Skuse had given scientific evidence were re-examined.

The real people who carried out the M62 coach bombing were never arrested or found guilty.

See Also

• Chronology of Provisional Irish Republican Army actions (1970–79)
• List of miscarriage of justice cases
• Good Friday Agreement