1996 Docklands bombing — the full case file

Shopkeepers Inam Bashir, 29, and John Jeffries, 31, stayed to close up and died in the Docklands blast. On 9 February 1996, the Provisional IRA detonated a large truck bomb at South Quay in London's Docklands, killing two men and injuring more than 100 people, ending the IRA's 17-month ceasefire. “a failure of humanity,” Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Condon said. On August 31, 1994, IRA declares a ceasefire. On January 23, 1996, International disarmament commission recommends Britain drop its demand for IRA disarmament before talks. On February 7, 1996, the truck bomb is transported from Northern Ireland to Scotland via the Stena Line Larne–Stranraer ferry, then driven to Barking, east London. On February 9, 1996, IRA truck bomb detonates at South Quay, Docklands, London, at 7:01 p.m., killing two men and injuring more than 100 people; IRA ends its ceasefire. On February 28, 1996, John Major and John Bruton announce that all-party peace talks will resume in June; Major drops the demand for IRA disarmament before talks. In April 1997, SAS captures an IRA sniper team in South Armagh, including James McArdle, whose thumbprints match those found during the Docklands bombing investigation. In June 1998, James McArdle convicted at Woolwich Crown Court of conspiracy to cause explosions and sentenced to 25 years; later also sentenced to 50 years for sniper team membership. In June 2000, McArdle released under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, with a royal prerogative of mercy from Queen Elizabeth II. The case is recorded as solved. This case file is kept in memory of Inam Bashir and John Jeffries. The full sourced case file, with every fact cited, is at casepin dot org.

Transcript from the video’s narration track. For every source, open the case file.