WARNINGS REVEALED
Warnings revealed
YESTERDAY'S hearing also heard of the chilling warning given ahead of the catastrophic bomb.
Revealing the details of the warnings, Lord Brennan said the first was by a man who rang Ulster Television's news desk in Belfast and stated simply: "Bomb. Courthouse. Omagh. Main Street. 5001bs. Explosion 30 minutes."
He pointed out the bomb in fact was 400 metres away in Market Street.
The code word Martha Pope was used by the caller as it was in another call to the Samaritans in Coleraine where the message was: "Main Street, about 200 metres up from Courthouse."
A third bomb warning was sent in saying simply: "Martha Pope, 15 minutes, Omagh town."
He said the last call was made at 2.35pm - 15 minutes before the bomb exploded.
He said because the Courthouse had been mentioned twice in the messages police in the town started to move people away from the court buildings and in fact down into Market Street into the vicinity of the bomb which then exploded in their midst.
The barrister rubbished Real IRA claims later that they had had no intention to cause death or injury.
YESTERDAY'S hearing also heard of the chilling warning given ahead of the catastrophic bomb.
Revealing the details of the warnings, Lord Brennan said the first was by a man who rang Ulster Television's news desk in Belfast and stated simply: "Bomb. Courthouse. Omagh. Main Street. 5001bs. Explosion 30 minutes."
He pointed out the bomb in fact was 400 metres away in Market Street.
The code word Martha Pope was used by the caller as it was in another call to the Samaritans in Coleraine where the message was: "Main Street, about 200 metres up from Courthouse."
A third bomb warning was sent in saying simply: "Martha Pope, 15 minutes, Omagh town."
He said the last call was made at 2.35pm - 15 minutes before the bomb exploded.
He said because the Courthouse had been mentioned twice in the messages police in the town started to move people away from the court buildings and in fact down into Market Street into the vicinity of the bomb which then exploded in their midst.
The barrister rubbished Real IRA claims later that they had had no intention to cause death or injury.
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/742
Published Date: 08-Apr-08
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