OMAGH HEARING WON'T BE CLOAKED IN SECRECY
Omagh hearing 'won't be cloaked in secrecy'
BY ALAN ERWIN
THE judge in charge of the multi-million pound Omagh bomb compensation case pledged yesterday to prevent hearings becoming cloaked in secrecy.
Mr Justice Morgan urged both sides in the landmark civil action at the High Court in Belfast to ensure proceedings remain as open as possible.
His call came as lawyers for victims' relatives who are suing five men they blame for the Real IRA atrocity which claimed 29 lives revealed plans to take evidence from more Irish police officers.
Twenty-three Garda witnesses have already been lined up for when the trial moves to Dublin next month.
But Brett Lockhart QC, for the families, told the court an application would be made to hear, from more officers. It is understood another six gardai and further civilian witnesses have been identified.
Day four of the case against convicted Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt, Seamus McKenna, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly centred on the experts due to give evidence about mobile phones allegedly used by the bomb team before and after the explosives were driven into Omagh on August 15, 1998.
After discussions on what testimonies and statements can be heard in court or simply read by the judge in the non-jury action, Mr Justice Morgan stressed that as much as possible should be delivered openly.
He said: "This is a public trial and we have to be careful not to turn it into a private trial."
At one stage Brian Fee QC, for McKenna, told the court it may be weeks before the expert brought in by his client and Daly and Murphy could be fully prepared for all the telephone evidence in the case.
But Lord Brennan QC, who is heading the victims' legal team, vowed to "vigorously resist" taking so long to prepare a report.
His warning received a reply that the expert originally brought in by the defendants had suffered a heart attack.
Later, further statements were read from some of those who saw the maroon Vauxhall Cavalier packed with a 5001b bomb as it was driven in by two men and parked on Market Street in the centre of Omagh
Darren Gray, the assistant manager of a nearby jeweller's store, said of one of them: "He looked to me to be closing it either very gently or locking it with the door handle upwards."
The trial was adjourned until Monday.
BY ALAN ERWIN
THE judge in charge of the multi-million pound Omagh bomb compensation case pledged yesterday to prevent hearings becoming cloaked in secrecy.
Mr Justice Morgan urged both sides in the landmark civil action at the High Court in Belfast to ensure proceedings remain as open as possible.
His call came as lawyers for victims' relatives who are suing five men they blame for the Real IRA atrocity which claimed 29 lives revealed plans to take evidence from more Irish police officers.
Twenty-three Garda witnesses have already been lined up for when the trial moves to Dublin next month.
But Brett Lockhart QC, for the families, told the court an application would be made to hear, from more officers. It is understood another six gardai and further civilian witnesses have been identified.
Day four of the case against convicted Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt, Seamus McKenna, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly centred on the experts due to give evidence about mobile phones allegedly used by the bomb team before and after the explosives were driven into Omagh on August 15, 1998.
After discussions on what testimonies and statements can be heard in court or simply read by the judge in the non-jury action, Mr Justice Morgan stressed that as much as possible should be delivered openly.
He said: "This is a public trial and we have to be careful not to turn it into a private trial."
At one stage Brian Fee QC, for McKenna, told the court it may be weeks before the expert brought in by his client and Daly and Murphy could be fully prepared for all the telephone evidence in the case.
But Lord Brennan QC, who is heading the victims' legal team, vowed to "vigorously resist" taking so long to prepare a report.
His warning received a reply that the expert originally brought in by the defendants had suffered a heart attack.
Later, further statements were read from some of those who saw the maroon Vauxhall Cavalier packed with a 5001b bomb as it was driven in by two men and parked on Market Street in the centre of Omagh
Darren Gray, the assistant manager of a nearby jeweller's store, said of one of them: "He looked to me to be closing it either very gently or locking it with the door handle upwards."
The trial was adjourned until Monday.
Further Information
Publisher: NEWS LETTER
Ref: NL/748
Published Date: 11-Apr-08
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