OMAGH FAMILIES VOW TO CONTINUE FIGHT FOR JUSTICE
Omagh families vow to continue fight for justice
BY ANNE PALMER
a.palmer@newsletter. co. uk
OMAGH victims' campaigner Michael Gallagher last night said that the 32nd victim of the Omagh bomb had been justice.
The fall-out following Thursday's Omagh bomb trial verdict - in which Sean Hoey, 38, from Jonesborough, south Armagh, was acquitted of the 56 charges he faced, including the murders of 29 people at Omagh -continued yesterday.
PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde publicly defended investigation detectives, saying they had been hindered by initial mistakes made after the 1998 bomb. He also said he had no regrets about taking the case.
"I need witnesses in the box in my judgment and I'm not going to give up on it, but I think, realistically speaking, that without that, any sort of prosecution now is highly unlikely," he said.
Mr Gallagher responded: "That in itself is a pretty damning statement for a police force to say there is not going to be a positive conclusion."
He said the key to solving the Omagh bombing is where it has always been - in the republican community, where so-called men of honour should be willing to talk to the PSNI and Garda and bring those responsible to justice.
"I accept Hugh Orde's honesty and analysis. Unless we have a Road to Damascus conversion and someone walks into a police shop and confesses, we will not get a conviction," said Mr Gallagher.
"But we will continue to pursue justice.
"The civil action will start in the spring. As long as everyone cooperates, I think we can get a measure of justice.
"The only way we can get to justice is to have a full independent cross-border inquiry."
Last night, English lawyer Victor Barker, who lost his son James in the Omagh bomb, called for the suspension of Sir Ronnie Flanagan, who heads up Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.
Mr Barker has contacted the Prime Minister's office about the matter. He also tried to contact Sir Ronnie - the RUC chief constable at the time of the Omagh bomb - but to no avail.
In response to news that the Association of Chief Police Officers had suspended the use of Low Copy Number DNA testing in investigations and were to review cases, Mr Barker asked if they were also going to suspend Sir Ronnie.
"I'm still looking for that sword for Mr Flanagan to fall on," said Mr Barker.
"I felt completely humiliated by what happened. It was nothing to do with PSNI Chief Supt Norman Baxter, he is a dedicated police officer.
"It's like the judge said, he (Mr Baxter) started off with a pack of cards that had been tampered with.
"This was the single biggest bomb investigation, and part of the bomb was left out in the rain to rust."
However, Mr Barker added: "I don't think that we should lose sight of the fact that the police did not plant the bomb, it was the terrorists and they are still at, large."
Bereaved Omagh father Godfrey Wilson yesterday spoke of his disappointment following Sir Hugh's comment that he thought any prosecution was "highly unlikely".
Mr Wilson, who lost his daughter Lorraine, 15, in the atrocity, said: "We are scundered with the whole situation."
He said the outcome of the court case and the criticisms of police had left relatives in a "black hole".
But he hit out saying that relatives had raised concerns with Sir Des Rea, chairman of the Policing Board, at an early stage in court proceedings because they could see that the police case was not looking good.
Mr Wilson said he now wants to see both the British and Irish governments backing a full cross-border inquiry.
A spokesman for the NI Policing Board confirmed that its representatives attended the trial at key points and received updates from the chief constable.
The News Letter contacted Sir Ronnie Flanagan's office at Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, but were told he would not be giving any media interviews.
See Morning View, page 14
BY ANNE PALMER
a.palmer@newsletter. co. uk
OMAGH victims' campaigner Michael Gallagher last night said that the 32nd victim of the Omagh bomb had been justice.
The fall-out following Thursday's Omagh bomb trial verdict - in which Sean Hoey, 38, from Jonesborough, south Armagh, was acquitted of the 56 charges he faced, including the murders of 29 people at Omagh -continued yesterday.
PSNI Chief Constable Sir Hugh Orde publicly defended investigation detectives, saying they had been hindered by initial mistakes made after the 1998 bomb. He also said he had no regrets about taking the case.
"I need witnesses in the box in my judgment and I'm not going to give up on it, but I think, realistically speaking, that without that, any sort of prosecution now is highly unlikely," he said.
Mr Gallagher responded: "That in itself is a pretty damning statement for a police force to say there is not going to be a positive conclusion."
He said the key to solving the Omagh bombing is where it has always been - in the republican community, where so-called men of honour should be willing to talk to the PSNI and Garda and bring those responsible to justice.
"I accept Hugh Orde's honesty and analysis. Unless we have a Road to Damascus conversion and someone walks into a police shop and confesses, we will not get a conviction," said Mr Gallagher.
"But we will continue to pursue justice.
"The civil action will start in the spring. As long as everyone cooperates, I think we can get a measure of justice.
"The only way we can get to justice is to have a full independent cross-border inquiry."
Last night, English lawyer Victor Barker, who lost his son James in the Omagh bomb, called for the suspension of Sir Ronnie Flanagan, who heads up Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary.
Mr Barker has contacted the Prime Minister's office about the matter. He also tried to contact Sir Ronnie - the RUC chief constable at the time of the Omagh bomb - but to no avail.
In response to news that the Association of Chief Police Officers had suspended the use of Low Copy Number DNA testing in investigations and were to review cases, Mr Barker asked if they were also going to suspend Sir Ronnie.
"I'm still looking for that sword for Mr Flanagan to fall on," said Mr Barker.
"I felt completely humiliated by what happened. It was nothing to do with PSNI Chief Supt Norman Baxter, he is a dedicated police officer.
"It's like the judge said, he (Mr Baxter) started off with a pack of cards that had been tampered with.
"This was the single biggest bomb investigation, and part of the bomb was left out in the rain to rust."
However, Mr Barker added: "I don't think that we should lose sight of the fact that the police did not plant the bomb, it was the terrorists and they are still at, large."
Bereaved Omagh father Godfrey Wilson yesterday spoke of his disappointment following Sir Hugh's comment that he thought any prosecution was "highly unlikely".
Mr Wilson, who lost his daughter Lorraine, 15, in the atrocity, said: "We are scundered with the whole situation."
He said the outcome of the court case and the criticisms of police had left relatives in a "black hole".
But he hit out saying that relatives had raised concerns with Sir Des Rea, chairman of the Policing Board, at an early stage in court proceedings because they could see that the police case was not looking good.
Mr Wilson said he now wants to see both the British and Irish governments backing a full cross-border inquiry.
A spokesman for the NI Policing Board confirmed that its representatives attended the trial at key points and received updates from the chief constable.
The News Letter contacted Sir Ronnie Flanagan's office at Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary, but were told he would not be giving any media interviews.
See Morning View, page 14
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/714
Published Date: 22-Dec-07
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