FOUR YEARS OF NOTHING FROM POLITICIAN LIARS
Four years of nothing from politician liars'
BILLY JAMESON'S outlook on life has changed beyond all recognition since the Omagh bombing which left his wife and son seriously injured.
The former self-employed financial broker has lost all faith in the police and feels let down by the politicians who pledged to hunt down the bombers.
He has not worked a day since the bombing - forced to give it up to look after his wife and son - and is currently embroiled in a legal battle for compensation.
Like many others on that day Mr Jameson's wife Ursula and their 11-year-old son William were in town putting the final touches to his new school uniform.
At their home a mile away Mr Jameson was enjoying a day's racing on the television and did not think twice when a news flash appeared about an evacuation in the town.
"He was going to grammar school and had to return a blazer because it was too big for him. That is the only reason they went into town," Mr Jameson says.
"The news flash came up that there was a bomb at the court house. No-one went up to the court house so I didn't pay much attention to it.
"The next thing the bomb went off. The whole house shook and all our windows rattled.
"I got a phone call and was told that Ursula and William had been injured in the bomb. I put down the phone, jumped in the car and went to the hospital. I had to abandon the car because you couldn't get up and I ran the 400 yards to the hospital.
"When I got up there a fella said, 'I think your boy may have gone to Enniskillen".
"As I was leaving I met another man who said he was going back in and would help me look. Then I went into this ward. Jesus, what I saw. It was all women and my wife was there.
"I will never forget the doctor shouting 'More Morphine, more Morphine.
"I met Michael Gallagher for the first time; he was looking for his young fella. People were telling me, 'did you try the morgue?'. That's what it was like when you couldn't find someone. I was lucky enough.
"Then I met another man who told me William was in another part of the hospital. I went down and he was lying there, shaking like a leaf. The blood was pouring out of his head and his foot was smashed up."
Mother and son were transferred to Altnagelvin hospital.
"It was the following summer before she had all the bandages off and had physio every other day," he says.
Mrs Jameson, who suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body, can never work again and never ventures into the town centre.
"My son is no problem, it is the wife.
It has affected her terribly. She would get fed up and depressed because she was a lecturer and had 20 odd years service.
"She won't go up the town, she's too scared. It wouldn't cost my son a thought.
"It (bombing) should never have happened. The way we have been treated by the governments has been abysmal.
"The governments couldn't care less about us, we are just another forgotten item.
"They keep talking about September 11, but on a pro-rata basis Omagh was the far worse atrocity. What do we have population wise compared
to New York?
"Omagh was a serious atrocity, yet within two days Tony Blair was flying across to America. He came to see us once and promised us this and
promised us that.
"The police investigation is a joke too. I got very angry when I saw the ombudsman's report. I couldn't believe how stupid the police were and how flippant the whole thing handled.
"A policeman once told me he had more faith in one of his young constables than an English policeman because, he said, 'we are used to handling terrorism. I said to him,'you are not catching too many are you?
In England they are bringing them before the courts. It isn't happening here. It should be, they have had 30 years of practice."
Mr Jameson is doubtful that the Omagh bombers will ever be caught and says he has no confidence in the new police investigation team.
"It has gone on too long. I have no faith in any police, to be honest with you. It is too late now. The trail hat gone cold.
"I am never going to vote again in life, I wouldn't talk to a politician because they are nothing but liars.
"Mo Mowlam sat beside my young fella in hospital and promised me, 'anything you want, it will be fast track'. Fast track? Four years on an still nothing yet."
BILLY JAMESON'S outlook on life has changed beyond all recognition since the Omagh bombing which left his wife and son seriously injured.
The former self-employed financial broker has lost all faith in the police and feels let down by the politicians who pledged to hunt down the bombers.
He has not worked a day since the bombing - forced to give it up to look after his wife and son - and is currently embroiled in a legal battle for compensation.
Like many others on that day Mr Jameson's wife Ursula and their 11-year-old son William were in town putting the final touches to his new school uniform.
At their home a mile away Mr Jameson was enjoying a day's racing on the television and did not think twice when a news flash appeared about an evacuation in the town.
"He was going to grammar school and had to return a blazer because it was too big for him. That is the only reason they went into town," Mr Jameson says.
"The news flash came up that there was a bomb at the court house. No-one went up to the court house so I didn't pay much attention to it.
"The next thing the bomb went off. The whole house shook and all our windows rattled.
"I got a phone call and was told that Ursula and William had been injured in the bomb. I put down the phone, jumped in the car and went to the hospital. I had to abandon the car because you couldn't get up and I ran the 400 yards to the hospital.
"When I got up there a fella said, 'I think your boy may have gone to Enniskillen".
"As I was leaving I met another man who said he was going back in and would help me look. Then I went into this ward. Jesus, what I saw. It was all women and my wife was there.
"I will never forget the doctor shouting 'More Morphine, more Morphine.
"I met Michael Gallagher for the first time; he was looking for his young fella. People were telling me, 'did you try the morgue?'. That's what it was like when you couldn't find someone. I was lucky enough.
"Then I met another man who told me William was in another part of the hospital. I went down and he was lying there, shaking like a leaf. The blood was pouring out of his head and his foot was smashed up."
Mother and son were transferred to Altnagelvin hospital.
"It was the following summer before she had all the bandages off and had physio every other day," he says.
Mrs Jameson, who suffered serious injuries to the right side of her body, can never work again and never ventures into the town centre.
"My son is no problem, it is the wife.
It has affected her terribly. She would get fed up and depressed because she was a lecturer and had 20 odd years service.
"She won't go up the town, she's too scared. It wouldn't cost my son a thought.
"It (bombing) should never have happened. The way we have been treated by the governments has been abysmal.
"The governments couldn't care less about us, we are just another forgotten item.
"They keep talking about September 11, but on a pro-rata basis Omagh was the far worse atrocity. What do we have population wise compared
to New York?
"Omagh was a serious atrocity, yet within two days Tony Blair was flying across to America. He came to see us once and promised us this and
promised us that.
"The police investigation is a joke too. I got very angry when I saw the ombudsman's report. I couldn't believe how stupid the police were and how flippant the whole thing handled.
"A policeman once told me he had more faith in one of his young constables than an English policeman because, he said, 'we are used to handling terrorism. I said to him,'you are not catching too many are you?
In England they are bringing them before the courts. It isn't happening here. It should be, they have had 30 years of practice."
Mr Jameson is doubtful that the Omagh bombers will ever be caught and says he has no confidence in the new police investigation team.
"It has gone on too long. I have no faith in any police, to be honest with you. It is too late now. The trail hat gone cold.
"I am never going to vote again in life, I wouldn't talk to a politician because they are nothing but liars.
"Mo Mowlam sat beside my young fella in hospital and promised me, 'anything you want, it will be fast track'. Fast track? Four years on an still nothing yet."
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0575
Published Date: 13-Aug-02
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