POLICE IN NEW APPEAL TO HUNT DOWN KILLERS
Police in new appeal to hunt down killers
By Olga Bradshaw
POLICE chiefs on both sides of the border launched a major new appeal for information yesterday (Wednesday) on the third anniversary of the Market Street bombing in Omagh, which claimed the lives of 29 people, including a local woman pregnant with twins.
Senior officers from the RUC and the Gardai told a press gathering in the Silverbirch Hotel in Omagh that they were initiating a new push to bring the killers to justice.
And they particularly appealed for those with information on the Vauxhall Cavalier car used in the bombing to come forward with the vital missing pieces of information they needed to jail the killers.
The high-profile drive came just days after some relatives of the Omagh dead launched a civil case against five men they believe to have played a part in the car bombing, and from whom they are seeking an undisclosed' amount of compensation.
At the press conference RUC Superintendent James Baxter, Omagh district commander, was accompanied by his Southern counterpart. Detective Superintendent Tadgh Foley. while the Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, attended the memorial service at 1pm in the town, accompanied by the Garda Commissioner, Mr. Pat Byrne.
Speaking at the briefing. Superintendent Baxter said the anniversary of the horrific event provided everyone with the opportunity to reflect.
"For many this will focus on the terrible hurt that was done to the people of Omagh, Buncrana and Madrid. But, we can also take pride and comfort from the many strengths that have emerged in the past three years to help us rebuild our communities," he said.
"In addition, this third anniversary allows us to remember those who died and were injured, and particularly the families who have been left to grieve and mourn," he said.
Very active
He continued: "But, just as important, it offers us an opportunity to demonstrate our resolution to catch the murderers and bring them before the courts. The investigation continues to be very active on both sides of the border.
"So far the RUC has interviewed 7,700 people and taken more than 3,230 statements. Many people have been very helpful and we have had much valuable information. But, we know that there are still people out there who have those extra bits of information which would help us close the gap and give us the evidence needed for a criminal prosecution. I am appealing to them to come forward and speak to us," he said.
Meanwhile, the fight to take five men alleged to have taken part in the bombing of Market Street will be taken "all the way", the husband of one of those murdered in the atrocity claimed this week.
Mr. Stanley McCombe, whose wife, Ann, was one of three assistants from Watterson Bros to die in the blast, also said he had no doubt that the civil action the Omagh Families for Justice group was spearheading would attract the �1 million it needed to pay for the unique court action launched last week in the town
It is the first time ever that relatives of victims of terrorist activity have brought a civil action against the alleged perpetrators of the crime, and the case has attracted worldwide interest - particularly from other victims' groups in Spain and Israel.
Lord Brennan, one of the most respected members of Queen's Counsel in Europe, will be heading a team of barristers instructed by a London firm of solicitors.
The lodging of the writs came just a week before the third anniversary of the bombing.
The five men named at the centre of the civil action are Seamus McKenna, of Silverbridge, Newry; John Michael Henry McKevitt, of Blackrock, Dundalk; Liam Campbell, Mount Pleasant, Dundalk; Michael Colm Murphy. Ravensdale, Dundalk, and Seamus Daly, Culloville, near Castleblaney.
No one has been charged with the atrocity, or any of the deaths which resulted from it, and to date only one man has been accused by police in the South of Ireland of plotting to cause an explosion. He is due to stand trial in Dublin at a later date.
A spokesperson for H2O solicitors, Mr. Jason McCue, this week refused to comment on the amount the families would be seeking in compensation for the deaths of their loved ones.
"We believe the proper place for this matter to be considered is through the judicial process. We are going to do our talking in court," he said.
Confident
Speaking about the official launch in Omagh on Saturday, Mr. McCombe said the was confident the �1 million needed to pay for the court case would be raised.
Already the group has raised over a quarter of the money it needs to pay the mammoth costs of bringing the five men to court, and the fund set up to cover the legal costs received a boost at the end of the week with an anonymous donation of �50,000.
The coffers will also be boosted by a number of high-profile special events, which are to be staged in Belfast. Dublin and Omagh in the coming weeks and months.
"I'm confident that the money required will be achieved. The people who are heading up the fund are very well known people in London, who move in the circles of very rich people," Mr. McCombe said.
And he warned: "This fight will go all the way."
"The court case is another hurdle that we are pursuing. We have to get justice and it is part and parcel of that healing process.
"It is another anniversary they are going to come and go, but this is a positive move. We have been fighting for two, nearly three years, and at least we are getting somewhere," he said.
Achievement
"Our group was the instigation of getting RIRA onto the list of internationally banned terrorist organisations, which was a great achievement for us. There would be a lot of politicians that will take credit for it, but only we put pressure on both governments it would never have happened.
"We have had 30 years of violence here and during all that time they were not recognised now they are on that list," Mr. McCombe said.
"We feel that we are doing the job the politicians should have been doing and still are not," he said.
Mr. Michael Gallagher said that those associated with the Justice group felt they had no choice but to take action, as their families deserved justice and it was their responsibility to make sure it was delivered.
Speaking the day before the third anniversary of his son, Adrian's death, he said he was delighted that Lord Brennan had taken on the challenge of bringing the civil action, which would be heard in the High Court in Belfast, as he had a record of taking on difficult and unique cases in the past and winning.
"We put our full faith and trust in our legal team because we know that they would have moved forward had they not been in a position to do so legally," he said.
"I have been at the forefront of this for three years, it has been a hard and difficult time. You always felt you have had to go on and I am really glad now the legal process has started because we have reached a point where we, hopefully, see a beginning of an end," he said.
"I have been very very tired over the past three years. I think 18 months is the most anybody should be under this pressure, and I could not do what I am without the support of the other families who have encouraged me because of the way they have stood together under the most difficult of circumstances," he said.
"We are facing a particularly difficult time again politically, and I think that the families involved here in Omagh come from wide variety of backgrounds and I think that we have concentrated on things that unite us, rather than things that divide us. I think the politicians have a lot to learn from the families in that respect.
Poignant
Referring to the third anniversary memorial service, Mr. Gallagher said it would be a very poignant time for people and a time of reflection.
Mr. Godfrey Wilson, whose daughter, Lorraine, died in the blast, said he and other families had to keep up the fight for justice.
"We have to keep on bringing up the situation we are in to try to get the case brought to justice. This case is a step forward for us. The system does not seem to be working for us in terms of the chances of bringing these people to court by other means," he said.
Mr. Wilson said the families' legal team had talked with them about the case at length: "They have said that the 32 County Sovereignty Committee and RIRA have admitted the deed that was done on the day, and in doing that they have strengthened our case and put themselves on the front line of being the perpetrators of that crime."
Mr. Wilson said he and other family members were filled with mixed emotions coming up to the third anniversary, but that was an every day experience for them.
"When we look at the justice system we have and the way the Good Friday Agreement is appeasing terrorists all the time, we have no way forward until we get justice," he said.
He continued: "In saying that I would like to thank the media for helping and for putting the case forward. On behalf of the group I would also like to thank people in London for their time and effort making the case strong. Without them we have no way forward and are left feeling like we are depending on a broken stick to take us forward for justice if we depend on the democracy in this country."
By Olga Bradshaw
POLICE chiefs on both sides of the border launched a major new appeal for information yesterday (Wednesday) on the third anniversary of the Market Street bombing in Omagh, which claimed the lives of 29 people, including a local woman pregnant with twins.
Senior officers from the RUC and the Gardai told a press gathering in the Silverbirch Hotel in Omagh that they were initiating a new push to bring the killers to justice.
And they particularly appealed for those with information on the Vauxhall Cavalier car used in the bombing to come forward with the vital missing pieces of information they needed to jail the killers.
The high-profile drive came just days after some relatives of the Omagh dead launched a civil case against five men they believe to have played a part in the car bombing, and from whom they are seeking an undisclosed' amount of compensation.
At the press conference RUC Superintendent James Baxter, Omagh district commander, was accompanied by his Southern counterpart. Detective Superintendent Tadgh Foley. while the Chief Constable, Sir Ronnie Flanagan, attended the memorial service at 1pm in the town, accompanied by the Garda Commissioner, Mr. Pat Byrne.
Speaking at the briefing. Superintendent Baxter said the anniversary of the horrific event provided everyone with the opportunity to reflect.
"For many this will focus on the terrible hurt that was done to the people of Omagh, Buncrana and Madrid. But, we can also take pride and comfort from the many strengths that have emerged in the past three years to help us rebuild our communities," he said.
"In addition, this third anniversary allows us to remember those who died and were injured, and particularly the families who have been left to grieve and mourn," he said.
Very active
He continued: "But, just as important, it offers us an opportunity to demonstrate our resolution to catch the murderers and bring them before the courts. The investigation continues to be very active on both sides of the border.
"So far the RUC has interviewed 7,700 people and taken more than 3,230 statements. Many people have been very helpful and we have had much valuable information. But, we know that there are still people out there who have those extra bits of information which would help us close the gap and give us the evidence needed for a criminal prosecution. I am appealing to them to come forward and speak to us," he said.
Meanwhile, the fight to take five men alleged to have taken part in the bombing of Market Street will be taken "all the way", the husband of one of those murdered in the atrocity claimed this week.
Mr. Stanley McCombe, whose wife, Ann, was one of three assistants from Watterson Bros to die in the blast, also said he had no doubt that the civil action the Omagh Families for Justice group was spearheading would attract the �1 million it needed to pay for the unique court action launched last week in the town
It is the first time ever that relatives of victims of terrorist activity have brought a civil action against the alleged perpetrators of the crime, and the case has attracted worldwide interest - particularly from other victims' groups in Spain and Israel.
Lord Brennan, one of the most respected members of Queen's Counsel in Europe, will be heading a team of barristers instructed by a London firm of solicitors.
The lodging of the writs came just a week before the third anniversary of the bombing.
The five men named at the centre of the civil action are Seamus McKenna, of Silverbridge, Newry; John Michael Henry McKevitt, of Blackrock, Dundalk; Liam Campbell, Mount Pleasant, Dundalk; Michael Colm Murphy. Ravensdale, Dundalk, and Seamus Daly, Culloville, near Castleblaney.
No one has been charged with the atrocity, or any of the deaths which resulted from it, and to date only one man has been accused by police in the South of Ireland of plotting to cause an explosion. He is due to stand trial in Dublin at a later date.
A spokesperson for H2O solicitors, Mr. Jason McCue, this week refused to comment on the amount the families would be seeking in compensation for the deaths of their loved ones.
"We believe the proper place for this matter to be considered is through the judicial process. We are going to do our talking in court," he said.
Confident
Speaking about the official launch in Omagh on Saturday, Mr. McCombe said the was confident the �1 million needed to pay for the court case would be raised.
Already the group has raised over a quarter of the money it needs to pay the mammoth costs of bringing the five men to court, and the fund set up to cover the legal costs received a boost at the end of the week with an anonymous donation of �50,000.
The coffers will also be boosted by a number of high-profile special events, which are to be staged in Belfast. Dublin and Omagh in the coming weeks and months.
"I'm confident that the money required will be achieved. The people who are heading up the fund are very well known people in London, who move in the circles of very rich people," Mr. McCombe said.
And he warned: "This fight will go all the way."
"The court case is another hurdle that we are pursuing. We have to get justice and it is part and parcel of that healing process.
"It is another anniversary they are going to come and go, but this is a positive move. We have been fighting for two, nearly three years, and at least we are getting somewhere," he said.
Achievement
"Our group was the instigation of getting RIRA onto the list of internationally banned terrorist organisations, which was a great achievement for us. There would be a lot of politicians that will take credit for it, but only we put pressure on both governments it would never have happened.
"We have had 30 years of violence here and during all that time they were not recognised now they are on that list," Mr. McCombe said.
"We feel that we are doing the job the politicians should have been doing and still are not," he said.
Mr. Michael Gallagher said that those associated with the Justice group felt they had no choice but to take action, as their families deserved justice and it was their responsibility to make sure it was delivered.
Speaking the day before the third anniversary of his son, Adrian's death, he said he was delighted that Lord Brennan had taken on the challenge of bringing the civil action, which would be heard in the High Court in Belfast, as he had a record of taking on difficult and unique cases in the past and winning.
"We put our full faith and trust in our legal team because we know that they would have moved forward had they not been in a position to do so legally," he said.
"I have been at the forefront of this for three years, it has been a hard and difficult time. You always felt you have had to go on and I am really glad now the legal process has started because we have reached a point where we, hopefully, see a beginning of an end," he said.
"I have been very very tired over the past three years. I think 18 months is the most anybody should be under this pressure, and I could not do what I am without the support of the other families who have encouraged me because of the way they have stood together under the most difficult of circumstances," he said.
"We are facing a particularly difficult time again politically, and I think that the families involved here in Omagh come from wide variety of backgrounds and I think that we have concentrated on things that unite us, rather than things that divide us. I think the politicians have a lot to learn from the families in that respect.
Poignant
Referring to the third anniversary memorial service, Mr. Gallagher said it would be a very poignant time for people and a time of reflection.
Mr. Godfrey Wilson, whose daughter, Lorraine, died in the blast, said he and other families had to keep up the fight for justice.
"We have to keep on bringing up the situation we are in to try to get the case brought to justice. This case is a step forward for us. The system does not seem to be working for us in terms of the chances of bringing these people to court by other means," he said.
Mr. Wilson said the families' legal team had talked with them about the case at length: "They have said that the 32 County Sovereignty Committee and RIRA have admitted the deed that was done on the day, and in doing that they have strengthened our case and put themselves on the front line of being the perpetrators of that crime."
Mr. Wilson said he and other family members were filled with mixed emotions coming up to the third anniversary, but that was an every day experience for them.
"When we look at the justice system we have and the way the Good Friday Agreement is appeasing terrorists all the time, we have no way forward until we get justice," he said.
He continued: "In saying that I would like to thank the media for helping and for putting the case forward. On behalf of the group I would also like to thank people in London for their time and effort making the case strong. Without them we have no way forward and are left feeling like we are depending on a broken stick to take us forward for justice if we depend on the democracy in this country."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0907
Published Date: 16-Aug-01
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