THE VERDICT
THE VERDICT
BUSINESSMAN Colm Murphy, the only man to be convicted in connection with the 1998 Omagh bomb outrage that killed 29 people and injured a further 300, was last night starting a 14 -year prison term. The jailing of the 49-year-old builder and publican by judges at Dublin's Special Criminal Court was followed by applause from relatives of the victims.
Murphy, with an address at Ravensdale, Co Louth, was convicted earlier this week of conspiracy to cause the Real IRA explosion.
Married with four children, and with previous terrorist convictions, he was described by Mr Justice Robert Barr, chairman of the three-judge panel, as "a long-time republican extremist". The judge stressed Murphy was not among those who planned or planted the bomb, but added: "Those who planted the bomb - and Murphy as a back-up or service provider - must have realised that the operation ... risked death and injury to many." Murphy looked on impassively as he was being sentenced. His wife Anne grimaced slightly and shrugged when she heard the jail term. A few minutes later, as Murphy was led away, a number of relatives of the Omagh victims applauded.
Ashamed
Mrs Murphy shouted at them: "You should be ashamed of yourselves."
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan died, said: "I hope this is the beginning of the end for the families. But it was obvious from the court case that there was quite a lot of other people involved." Kevin Skelton, whose wife Philomena was among the victims, said: "I hope this is the start of bringing all the people involved in the bombing to justice." Murphy, through his defence counsel Michael O'Higgins, maintained his innocence throughout the trial. He was found guilty on the basis of confessions he made in 1999.
The court also decided he lent his own mobile phone and that of his unwitting foreman, Terence Morgan, to a man named Seamus Daly, who was "alleged to be a terrorist and a leading member of the Real IRA".
Murphy was also convicted on evidence given by a mobile phone expert, RUC- officers and security service agents who tracked the two phones travelling between Co Monaghan to Omagh on the day of the attack.
The court heard from Detective Superintendent Tadhg Foley of Murphy's previous convictions, among them possession of automatic weapons, membership of the IRA and assault.
In his defence, Mr O'Higgins said: "The devastating and horrible consequences were not in any way anticipated by Mr Murphy. He maintains absolutely his innocence of this."
He said the bombers were "members of an organisation styling themselves the Real IRA. All of the evidence in this case tends to suggest that he was not a member of that group, instead a member of an entirely different group".
The judges had said he was believed to be a member of the Continuity IRA. They refused Murphy leave to appeal to their court.
When she left the court minutes after seeing her husband sentenced, Mrs Murphy said: "I am not upset. I am not even surprised."
BUSINESSMAN Colm Murphy, the only man to be convicted in connection with the 1998 Omagh bomb outrage that killed 29 people and injured a further 300, was last night starting a 14 -year prison term. The jailing of the 49-year-old builder and publican by judges at Dublin's Special Criminal Court was followed by applause from relatives of the victims.
Murphy, with an address at Ravensdale, Co Louth, was convicted earlier this week of conspiracy to cause the Real IRA explosion.
Married with four children, and with previous terrorist convictions, he was described by Mr Justice Robert Barr, chairman of the three-judge panel, as "a long-time republican extremist". The judge stressed Murphy was not among those who planned or planted the bomb, but added: "Those who planted the bomb - and Murphy as a back-up or service provider - must have realised that the operation ... risked death and injury to many." Murphy looked on impassively as he was being sentenced. His wife Anne grimaced slightly and shrugged when she heard the jail term. A few minutes later, as Murphy was led away, a number of relatives of the Omagh victims applauded.
Ashamed
Mrs Murphy shouted at them: "You should be ashamed of yourselves."
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan died, said: "I hope this is the beginning of the end for the families. But it was obvious from the court case that there was quite a lot of other people involved." Kevin Skelton, whose wife Philomena was among the victims, said: "I hope this is the start of bringing all the people involved in the bombing to justice." Murphy, through his defence counsel Michael O'Higgins, maintained his innocence throughout the trial. He was found guilty on the basis of confessions he made in 1999.
The court also decided he lent his own mobile phone and that of his unwitting foreman, Terence Morgan, to a man named Seamus Daly, who was "alleged to be a terrorist and a leading member of the Real IRA".
Murphy was also convicted on evidence given by a mobile phone expert, RUC- officers and security service agents who tracked the two phones travelling between Co Monaghan to Omagh on the day of the attack.
The court heard from Detective Superintendent Tadhg Foley of Murphy's previous convictions, among them possession of automatic weapons, membership of the IRA and assault.
In his defence, Mr O'Higgins said: "The devastating and horrible consequences were not in any way anticipated by Mr Murphy. He maintains absolutely his innocence of this."
He said the bombers were "members of an organisation styling themselves the Real IRA. All of the evidence in this case tends to suggest that he was not a member of that group, instead a member of an entirely different group".
The judges had said he was believed to be a member of the Continuity IRA. They refused Murphy leave to appeal to their court.
When she left the court minutes after seeing her husband sentenced, Mrs Murphy said: "I am not upset. I am not even surprised."
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH EXTRA
Ref: BT/0839
Published Date: 26-Jan-02
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