MY TORTURE BY MAN ARRESTED BY POLICE OVER OMAGH BOMB
My torture' by man arrested by police over Omagh bomb
BY LESLEY-ANNE HENRY
lhenry@belfasttelegraph.co.uk
A FORMER employee of a suspected Omagh bomber told a court yesterday how he felt "tortured" by police questioning.
Terrence Patrick Morgan, who worked as a foreman for Colm Murphy, one of five men being sued over the 1998 explosion, spoke of the mental torment and anxiety induced by RUC investigations into the bombing.
Mr Morgan was among a number of people arrested and questioned in February 1999 - six months after the car bomb ripped through Omagh killing 29 people and unborn twins.
"I remember just being tortured for a full week and told I'd never see my family or anything again," said the construction worker, who is currently receiving psychiatric treatment.
He also claimed to have been "treated very bad" and said he was prevented from sleeping in his cell at night. "Every five minutes they put the light on so I was awake," he told the High Court sitting.
Mr Morgan was visibly trembling as he addressed the court. He said he has never been able to read or write. Throughout the morning he sat in the witness box rubbing his temples, shaking his head, biting his fingernails and at I times letting out deep sighs of exasperation. At one point he also took out a handkerchief and mopped his forehead.
The court heard how Mr Morgan has no memory of events before or after the bombing due to the anti-depressant medication and sleeping tablets he has to take for his anxiety.
A psychiatric report on his ability to take the stand concluded that giving evidence would be "extremely anxiety provoking".
At one point a recording of a police interview was played to the court because Mr Morgan was unable to follow the printed transcript. And even after listening to the five-minute extract he claimed not to recognise his own voice and had no recollection of the interview.
Earlier the civil trial heard that Mr Morgan had admitted to unwittingly lending his mobile phone to Colm Murphy. However yesterday he said: "I can't remember anything about my phone. I didn't give my phone to Mr Murphy."
He also denied falsely clocking Seamus McKenna into work on August 15, 1998.
Under questioning from Mr McKenna's barrister, Brian Fee QC, he said: "There was a roll-call that day by Cramptons and anyone who was there was signed in. If he was at the site he would have been signed in."
When asked: "If Seamus McKenna wasn't there would he have been signed in?" Mr Morgan replied: "No, he wouldn't have been signed in."
Mr Morgan also said he was not afraid of Seamus McKenna. None of the six families taking the ground-breaking civil action were in court to see Mr Morgan take the stand.
BY LESLEY-ANNE HENRY
lhenry@belfasttelegraph.co.uk
A FORMER employee of a suspected Omagh bomber told a court yesterday how he felt "tortured" by police questioning.
Terrence Patrick Morgan, who worked as a foreman for Colm Murphy, one of five men being sued over the 1998 explosion, spoke of the mental torment and anxiety induced by RUC investigations into the bombing.
Mr Morgan was among a number of people arrested and questioned in February 1999 - six months after the car bomb ripped through Omagh killing 29 people and unborn twins.
"I remember just being tortured for a full week and told I'd never see my family or anything again," said the construction worker, who is currently receiving psychiatric treatment.
He also claimed to have been "treated very bad" and said he was prevented from sleeping in his cell at night. "Every five minutes they put the light on so I was awake," he told the High Court sitting.
Mr Morgan was visibly trembling as he addressed the court. He said he has never been able to read or write. Throughout the morning he sat in the witness box rubbing his temples, shaking his head, biting his fingernails and at I times letting out deep sighs of exasperation. At one point he also took out a handkerchief and mopped his forehead.
The court heard how Mr Morgan has no memory of events before or after the bombing due to the anti-depressant medication and sleeping tablets he has to take for his anxiety.
A psychiatric report on his ability to take the stand concluded that giving evidence would be "extremely anxiety provoking".
At one point a recording of a police interview was played to the court because Mr Morgan was unable to follow the printed transcript. And even after listening to the five-minute extract he claimed not to recognise his own voice and had no recollection of the interview.
Earlier the civil trial heard that Mr Morgan had admitted to unwittingly lending his mobile phone to Colm Murphy. However yesterday he said: "I can't remember anything about my phone. I didn't give my phone to Mr Murphy."
He also denied falsely clocking Seamus McKenna into work on August 15, 1998.
Under questioning from Mr McKenna's barrister, Brian Fee QC, he said: "There was a roll-call that day by Cramptons and anyone who was there was signed in. If he was at the site he would have been signed in."
When asked: "If Seamus McKenna wasn't there would he have been signed in?" Mr Morgan replied: "No, he wouldn't have been signed in."
Mr Morgan also said he was not afraid of Seamus McKenna. None of the six families taking the ground-breaking civil action were in court to see Mr Morgan take the stand.
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/1127
Published Date: 13-Nov-08
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