OMAGH CO-WORKER DENIES ACCUSATION
Omagh co-worker denies accusation
A MAN who worked for one of the Omagh bomb suspects yesterday denied lending a mobile phone to his boss on the eve of the terrorist atrocity.
Terence Morgan shook visibly as he gave evidence at the High Court civil trial of five men being sued over the Real IRA attack which killed 29 people.
Mr Morgan, who is said to be receiving psychiatric treatment, was summonsed to be cross-examined about statements he gave to police following the August 1998 outrage.
Transcripts from his interview sessions with detectives read out at the hearing in Belfast had alleged that one of the defendants, Seamus McKenna, was wrongly signed in as being on the building site where they worked together on the day of the bombing.
Asked yesterday about roll-call procedures however, he said only those present would have been signed in.
Mr Morgan, who repeatedly stated he had no memory of the events in question, had worked as a foreman for Colm Murphy - another of the men being sued by victims' relatives who hold them responsible for the bombing.
Earlier in the trial police transcripts were read out where it was alleged that Murphy took his phone the day before the terrorist gang launched their strike on Omagh.
But at one stage Mr Morgan told the court: "I didn't give my phone to Mr Murphy."
Cross-examined by Dermot Fee, QC for Murphy, about his former boss, the witness replied: "I was never threatened by no-one, only the police."
Rubbing his head as he sat in the witness box, Mr Morgan claimed police questioned him for days and denied him sleep.
He said he remembered "being just tortured for a full week and being told I would never see my family or anything again".
"Every five minutes they put the light on and I was awake," Mr Morgan said.
After telling the court he could not read, the witness was asked to listen to recordings of his interview sessions with detectives.
But responding to Brett Lockhart QC, for the Omagh families, he said he did not remember the conversations, or recognise the voice as being his.
With no further questions put to him, Mr Morgan was allowed to leave court.
The case continues.
A MAN who worked for one of the Omagh bomb suspects yesterday denied lending a mobile phone to his boss on the eve of the terrorist atrocity.
Terence Morgan shook visibly as he gave evidence at the High Court civil trial of five men being sued over the Real IRA attack which killed 29 people.
Mr Morgan, who is said to be receiving psychiatric treatment, was summonsed to be cross-examined about statements he gave to police following the August 1998 outrage.
Transcripts from his interview sessions with detectives read out at the hearing in Belfast had alleged that one of the defendants, Seamus McKenna, was wrongly signed in as being on the building site where they worked together on the day of the bombing.
Asked yesterday about roll-call procedures however, he said only those present would have been signed in.
Mr Morgan, who repeatedly stated he had no memory of the events in question, had worked as a foreman for Colm Murphy - another of the men being sued by victims' relatives who hold them responsible for the bombing.
Earlier in the trial police transcripts were read out where it was alleged that Murphy took his phone the day before the terrorist gang launched their strike on Omagh.
But at one stage Mr Morgan told the court: "I didn't give my phone to Mr Murphy."
Cross-examined by Dermot Fee, QC for Murphy, about his former boss, the witness replied: "I was never threatened by no-one, only the police."
Rubbing his head as he sat in the witness box, Mr Morgan claimed police questioned him for days and denied him sleep.
He said he remembered "being just tortured for a full week and being told I would never see my family or anything again".
"Every five minutes they put the light on and I was awake," Mr Morgan said.
After telling the court he could not read, the witness was asked to listen to recordings of his interview sessions with detectives.
But responding to Brett Lockhart QC, for the Omagh families, he said he did not remember the conversations, or recognise the voice as being his.
With no further questions put to him, Mr Morgan was allowed to leave court.
The case continues.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0982
Published Date: 13-Nov-08
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