IN/0900

Doubts over Omagh three

THREE men being sued over the Omagh bomb atrocity may not "have the guts" to turn up in person for the trial, the High Court heard yesterday. Lord Brennan QC, for the families taking the £14 million compensation case, made the claim as he urged a judge to resist letting defendants give evidence through a video link. Even though five men have been named in the civil action against the Real IRA outrage which killed 29 people -including a woman pregnant with twins - in August 1998, only Seamus Daly, Colm Murphy and Seamus McKenna are not being held in jail. They want to use video links to avoid leaving the Republic for the trial which is due to begin at the High Court in Belfast on April 7. One reason mentioned was any risk of being exposed to criminal procedures should they cross the border. But Lord Brennan insisted a video link should only be granted for reasons of witness safety.