IN/0504

Widower confronts massacre suspect
By Valerie Robinson

A GRIEVING husband yesterday confronted the man accused of plotting the Omagh bomb after seeing him in court for the first time. And relatives of the 29 people killed by the car bomb have revealed plans to quiz RUC chief constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan on the progress of the police investigation into the attack.
Lawrence Rushe last night said his anger "boiled over" after seeing the accused Colm Murphy (46) laughing and chatting with his legal advisers as he left a Dublin courtroom.
The widower whose 57-year-old wife Libby died in the attack on August 15 last year said he travelled to Dublin by train to see Murphy's appearance at the special criminal court.
"I finally had seen the guy. I was angry that this (the court appearances) was going to continue and continue and continue.
"I went to leave and he was just standing there laughing with his counsel in the foyer.
"My anger boiled over. He was standing there free as a bird.
"I went over and cried: 'You're a bastard for killing my wife'.
"He was pleading that he didn't do it."
Mr Rushe said he was accompanied from the court buildings by two gardai detectives whom he described as "more than sympathetic".
The Omagh man who was rushed to hospital recently with severe chest pains said his health was "not great".
Chairman of the Omagh Support & Self Help Group, Michael Gallagher last night described his friend as "an unbelievably kind and warm person" who "from time to time gets very upset".
"But that's understandable. He was married for 40 years and now he's in his home on his own."
Mr Gallagher whose 21-year-old Aiden also died in the bomb said all the families affected found the slow progress of the police investigation "very frustrating".
He plans to join Mr Rushe and other families in Dublin when the Murphy trial begins.
And members of the support and self help group will meet Sir Ronnie Flanagan' in Omagh on October 30 to get a full update on the police investigation.
Colm Murphy was yesterday remanded on continuing bail until next Tuesday after the court heard that a book of evidence has been served on him.
The married father of four who is a building contractor and publican is a native of Co Armagh with an address at Jordan's Corner, Ravensdale, Co Louth.
He is charged with conspiring in Dundalk with another person not before the court to cause an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious damage to property in the state or elsewhere between August 13 and 16 last year. He is also charged with membership of an illegal organisation, styling itself Oglaigh na hEireann on August 14 last year. Assistant state solicitor Gearoid Ryall told the court that the book of evidence in the case had been served and the trial was expected to last four weeks.
The court remanded Murphy on continuing bail of £100,000 until next Tuesday when a trial date will be fixed.