Name/Title
Artist's impression of Patrick Magee's first court appearance July 1985Entry/Object ID
2401Description
Large glass fronted framed and mounted ( 74.5cm x 61.5 cm) artist's impression in pastel of suspected IRA terrorists, including Patrick Magee, at Lambeth Magistrates Court in July 1985, drawn by Julie Quenzler for the BBC, with handwritten mounted explanation panel, has label to rear "Property of Sussex Police"Use
Original artist's impression commissioned by TV news channel to show suspects in courtroom. This is part of larger group of items relating to the Grand Hotel Bombing investigation.Context
On 12th October 1984 a bomb exploded at the Grand Hotel in Brighton, whilst it was hosting guests staying for the Conservative party Conference being held in Brighton, killing 5 people and injuring 31. The bomb was planted by the I.R.A. (Irish Republican Army) in an attempt to kill the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and members of her government.
In September 1986 Patrick Magee was convicted of planting the bomb and five counts of murder.
Under English law camera's are not permitted in courtrooms and artists are commissioned by news organisations to sketch proceedings, however they are not permitted to do so whilst in the court and have to sketch from memory.
This framed pastel drawing shows Patrick Magee and fellow suspects at their first court appearance at Lambeth Magistrates Court in July 1985, having been arrested on 24th June. Magee is seated with a beard next to the officer with an armband in the foreground. This drawing was used by the BBC in their reporting of the hearing. It was subsequently gifted to Detective Chief Superintendent Jack Reece, who headed the Sussex Police enquiry into the bombing, by Bill Hamilton, the BBC's Home Affair's Correspondent. For some years this drawing hung in part of the staff canteen at Sussex Police HQ, and may have been accompanied by other framed Grand Hotel bombing related items.