25/02/2014 BBC Newsline

the papers on the news channel. Now we join the

Good evening. A man charged with murdering four soldiers in the IRA's

Hyde Park bombing won't stand trial because of a secret letter sent by

the government to Sinn Fein. A judge has accepted that John Downey was

given a written assurance that he wouldn't be prosecuted following an

agreement seven years ago on dealing with people known as on-the-runs.

The case of John Downey has been going on behind closed doors of a

London court in recent weeks. We can now report what it details. Carnage

on the streets of London. Four soldiers from the Household Cavalry

were killed when a car bomb exploded. Seven horses also died.

John Downey was arrested in May last year and charged with the murders.

He argued he never should have an arrest did because the government

had given him assurance he would not be prosecuted. In a series of

private court hearings at the Old Bailey, his lawyers argued that any

prosecution would be a breach of the promise given by Tony Blair 's Matt

government. It was revealed in court that in July 2007, a letter was sent

to Sinn Fein. But that was not the case. A special

team setup to check the legal status of floral macro were aware that he

was wanted by the Metropolitan Police for the Hyde Park bombing

when the letter was sent. The prosecution argued that the letter

was a mistake. John Downey's lawyers said that he relied on it. Last

Friday the judge said the government's figure -- letter

amounted to an abuse of process. Sinn Fein says similar letters were

sent to more than 180 other on-the-runs. John Downey should

never have been arrested. It was part of an agreement and I welcome

the fact that they have now released him and he is free to go home. This

ruling could have huge implications for the other floral macro if they

were arrested and brought before the courts. -- for the other

on-the-runs. The Chief Constable has apologised to the family of the big

teams. The families have said they are bitterly disappointed. They have

issued a statement saying this news has left us all feeling

devastatingly left -- let down. He is never going to go to trial

because of a catastrophic failure of the system, as recognised by the

police service in Northern Ireland and the families don't understand

how such an error was uncorrected. It was recognised twice. The EU P

has strongly criticised the previous government. The Blair government

entered into a scheme which the court has ruled gives people a get

out of jail free card. It is disgraceful. I am just asking

everybody to be very careful about reinventing history. We are where we

are because when you solve conflict and end walls and stop terrorism

from continuing, it involves negotiations that you ideally would

not want to address. You would not want to address it in a normal

political situation such as we now have in Northern Ireland. What I

crave the current secretary of state says her officials will investigate.

A number of floral macro work given letters similar to those of John

Downey. We are checking to see if any similar mistakes have remade.

The police have apologised to the families of the big teams. The Chief

Constable Matt Baggott has said that the issue has been referred to the

police ombudsman. The Police are investigating the

murder of a woman in Omagh. The woman was taken to hospital with

head injuries from a house in Castleview Court on Sunday and died

yesterday. She was 36-year-old Mairead McCallion from Omagh. No

other details have been given. The Fisheries Minister Michelle

O'Neill says she will bring forward a fishermen's assistance package.

She met a delegation of fishermen, who say they have been struggling to

cope amid rising fuel prices, and the recent stormy weather has left

them unable to fish. 20,000 pupils are absent from school

for more than six weeks in a year. The Northern Ireland Audit Office

says it is disturbed at the figures which have only improved slightly

since it last investigated ten years ago.

There are 300,000 pupils at school in Northern Ireland and the audit

office is disturbed about the level of Anson tears. They are concerned

that only 4000 were refurb by schools to the authorities. --

referred by schools to the authorities. This school had one of

the worst records for absenteeism, but it has now greatly improved.

They are proud of the progress, which is up from around 85%

attendance to over 90%. This year we have introduced a school attendance

competition where all classes are competing against each other to have

the best attendance in the school. The students here are clear about

the dangers of bunking off school. If people don't come to school they

will struggle in the future. The parents should be telling them to go

to school because they need debt education, but some parents don't

say anything which is wrong. This primary school was chosen as a role

model by the audit office. We have clubs after school. It helps

greatly. Be audit office wants more money invested in educational

welfare. Time now for the weather. We do have a lot of dry weather

which is being interop to buy a few scattered showers. Temperatures in

towns and cities between three and four degrees Celsius. They could be

sleet and snow over the hills and mountains. An unsettled start to the

day, but it will improve. To begin with county and damp. It will break

up from the south and across Ireland there will be a dry and bright start

with plenty of sunshine. A similar picture for Wales and England full

up north of that it is cloudy with some sleep and snow for the hills

and mountain -- mountain is in Scotland. There will be plenty of

dry and bright weather in the afternoon. Temperatures around eight

or nine degrees. Tomorrow evening the cloud will push across and bring

rain. It will be quick to pass. Thursday morning will be drier, but

there will be a scattering of showers. There will be some dry

weather and spells of sunshine. A little bit colder with temperatures

between six and eight degrees. Friday, more scattered showers and

sunny spells. That is it from BBC newsline. Good night.