VICTIMS' RELATIVED 'DEVESTATED' BY DELAY
Victims' relatives 'devastated' by delay
THE relatives of the Omagh bomb victims, speaking outside the court yesterday, said they were devastated by the new delay.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was among the victims, said: "There is utter disbelief. We came here having psyched ourselves up for this day, only to find there's been a false start. It hasn't been easy for the relatives and this just adds to the difficulties we all face."
Laurence Rush, whose wife, Libby (Elizabeth), was killed in the explosion, said he was outraged and appalled by the adjournment.
He said: "It's a travesty and wasted by this timescale. We've waited eight years for this and now we seem to find ourselves in something of a timewarp.
"I am not usually lost for words but I just can't believe the reasons that were given for the adjournment."
Stanley McCombe, who lost his wife Ann in the bombing, was also angered by the delay.
Mr McCombe said he was now even more doubtful of ever getting justice.
He said: "It's not really good enough. It's hard on the families. We've been up since early morning travelling to be here and then you get this to this stage and within 10 or 15 minutes senior counsel says 'I'm not well enough, I can't deal with this'.
"This just intensifies what we have been doing and saying these last eight years.
"This is as far as we can go, yet something simple like someone taking ill can delay everything.
"The way it's starting off is not promising for us.
"Even if it does start, I can see there being more of this sort of thing."
Meanwhile, in a separate court, lawyers representing Sean Hoey went before a different judge to make an application for disclosure of documents relating to the handling of exhibits at the Forensic Science Laboratory which may be presented at the trial.
Following an application from the media because of the high profile nature of the Omagh case, the judge made an order allowing limited reporting.
Crown Court judge Mr Justice Weatherup said he was permitting reporting of the case to the extent that it involved "the application being made to Criminal Justice Inspection for disclosure of documents in relation to the accreditation of the Forensic Science Agency and the fact that the application has been successful.
THE relatives of the Omagh bomb victims, speaking outside the court yesterday, said they were devastated by the new delay.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden was among the victims, said: "There is utter disbelief. We came here having psyched ourselves up for this day, only to find there's been a false start. It hasn't been easy for the relatives and this just adds to the difficulties we all face."
Laurence Rush, whose wife, Libby (Elizabeth), was killed in the explosion, said he was outraged and appalled by the adjournment.
He said: "It's a travesty and wasted by this timescale. We've waited eight years for this and now we seem to find ourselves in something of a timewarp.
"I am not usually lost for words but I just can't believe the reasons that were given for the adjournment."
Stanley McCombe, who lost his wife Ann in the bombing, was also angered by the delay.
Mr McCombe said he was now even more doubtful of ever getting justice.
He said: "It's not really good enough. It's hard on the families. We've been up since early morning travelling to be here and then you get this to this stage and within 10 or 15 minutes senior counsel says 'I'm not well enough, I can't deal with this'.
"This just intensifies what we have been doing and saying these last eight years.
"This is as far as we can go, yet something simple like someone taking ill can delay everything.
"The way it's starting off is not promising for us.
"Even if it does start, I can see there being more of this sort of thing."
Meanwhile, in a separate court, lawyers representing Sean Hoey went before a different judge to make an application for disclosure of documents relating to the handling of exhibits at the Forensic Science Laboratory which may be presented at the trial.
Following an application from the media because of the high profile nature of the Omagh case, the judge made an order allowing limited reporting.
Crown Court judge Mr Justice Weatherup said he was permitting reporting of the case to the extent that it involved "the application being made to Criminal Justice Inspection for disclosure of documents in relation to the accreditation of the Forensic Science Agency and the fact that the application has been successful.
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/659
Published Date: 07-Sep-06
Related Images
There have been no images archived for this article.