FAMILIES FACE HARROWING TIMES - CORONER
Families face harrowing times- Coroner
EVIDENCE about the horrific nature of the 3001b car bomb, which killed 29 people and unborn baby girls on August 15 two years ago, has begun to unfold as the Inquest got underway at the town's Leisure Complex, yesterday (Wednesday).
The Inquest is expected to last for four weeks, and over 150 witnesses are expected to give evidence. Yesterday the Inquest heard evidence of the bomb warnings, and how the alert was raised in Belfast and relayed to Omagh RUC Station.
Two telephone bomb warnings were received by a receptionist at the UTV newsroom, in Belfast, half an hour before the 300lb car bomb exploded in Omagh claiming the lives of 29 men, women and children and unborn twin girls, the Omagh Inquest has heard.
Margaret Hall, a programme assistant with the television company, told the Inquest that she received the first of two calls at 2.32pm, from a man with a northern country accent, who told here a 500lb bomb was at the Courthouse and was due to detonate in 30 minutes.
She said she had found it difficult to understand the man due to his accent and had to ask him to repeat himself. He gave either 'Malta Pope' or 'Martha Pope' as a code for the call and also spoke in Irish.
In cross-examination she said the newsroom staff were not provided with any kind of police protocol for dealing with such telephone calls, nor did they have a list of recognised code words.
Ms. Hall also told the court that when the police contacted her again she had told them the 1471 facility could not be used as the calls had come through a switchboard.
She said that it was as she was telephoning the call to police using the '999' emergency number, that the second call came through, and she believed it to be from the same caller, who this time told her the bomb was due to detonate in 15 minutes.
In the second call the man told her that the bomb was in Omagh town. She said the calls were only a couple of minutes apart.
Ms. Hall left the witness stand in tears.
George Mullan, a constable controller at Castlereagh RUC Station, told the hearing that he answered the first call at 2.30pm from a woman called Maggie from the UTV newsroom who told him: "I am only after receiving a phone call from a man with a country accent saying that there was a bomb in Omagh main street near the Courthouse. A 5001b bomb. It is going to go off in 30 minutes".
He went on to reveal how a code word had been given, and said he immediately telephoned Omagh station to alert the police there.
He said he then completed his computer records, logging the call, and said he contacted the receptionist again to see if she had a 1471 facility whereby the call might be traced. However that was not possible.
He said the entire police computer system throughout Northern Ireland was networked, and he was confident that the times recorded were accurate.
In cross examination he said that telephoning Omagh RUC station would have been the quickest and most efficient way to relay the information to police here, and added that a simultaneous record of the bomb warning would have come up on the Omagh computer system when he entered it and "sent it" to Omagh at 2.34pm.
The Inquest, which is expected to last until September 27, has forced peoples' minds back to the events following August 15, 1998, when they waited at the Leisure Complex for news of missing loved ones.
Many of the bereaved who arrived early to take part in the short religious service looked drawn and tired as they were ushered into the youth wing at the complex where the interdenominational service was held.
In a statement Fr. Kevin Mullan, of Christ the King Church, Cappagh, said that it was acknowledged that the first day of the hearing would be difficult for the bereaved.
He said all those involved needed support.
Tribute
He also paid tribute to the many people in various agencies, who had worked hard to support the families and those traumatised by the events of August 15.
He said the Churches Forum hoped those who attended the daily service would find the moments of prayerful reflection helpful, and a means by which people could compose themselves for the day ahead.
Also taking part in the service were Fr. Michael Keavney, parish priest at the Sacred Heart Church in Omagh, Rev. Derek Quinn, rector of Cappagh Parish Church, and Rev. Thomas Breen, from Dromore.
Dr. Brendan McCarthy, senior leader at Omagh Community Church, led the prayers for healing, wisdom, integrity and compassion.
Prayers were also said for those who had lost loved ones and those who were injured physically and psychologically, as well as for those involved in conducting the inquest, the witnesses, and the support staff in various agencies, as well as for the community of Omagh.
Among those to attend the service were Mr. William Thompson, MP, the RUC Sub-Divisional Commander, Mr. James Baxter, officials from Omagh District Council and other clergy from throughout the district and further afield.
In the past month the complex has undergone an extensive refurbishment programme, and the total bill of staging the hearing in Omagh is estimated at �1.5 million.
The Minor Hall has been transformed into a courtroom, complete with wood panelling, carpet, and banks of audio-visual equipment, including two large screens suspended from the ceiling to allow those in the cordoned off viewing galleries to view the proceedings.
There are suites of private rooms for the bereaved off to one side, and a private entrance allowing the families to use a separate entrance from the public and battery of media personnel who have descended on Omagh to record the story of how the 29 victims met their deaths.
Annex
Three consultation rooms and a first aid centre line the corridor outside the hall, and a specially constructed annex for the media and public has been built in the grounds outside.
The facilities were two months in the planning, and it is understood that the construction costs totalled �250,000, while it has cost a further �250,000. for staffing.
Around �1 million has been spent buying in specialist equipment to facilitate the hearing, which will be reabsorbed into the Court Service offices throughout Northern Ireland once the Inquest concludes.
To provide further privacy, the entrances and exits into the Leisure Complex have been screened off with special, opaque marquee coverings.
The hearing is before Belfast Coroner, Mr. John Leckey, who, in his opening statement, said the horrific nature of the bomb had left many people, not just the injured, deeply traumatised, with some still needing professional help.
He told the bereaved, members of the public and the media that the true number of casualties from the bomb was, without doubt, far in excess of the number killed and injured, and said the exact number of those adversely touched by the atrocity might never be known.
He warned that the hearing would be a harrowing time for the bereaved, and would resurrect many sad and unpleasant memories.
"I am very conscious of the fact that for many families Omagh Leisure Complex will forever be associated with this dreadful event, and it cannot be easy to have to return to the Minor Hall to participate in the Inquest hearings," he said,
Mr. Leckey said it had been his "strong wish" to hold the Inquest in Omagh, and he went on to express his hope that the proceedings would be reported sensitively by those in the media.
"It has been made known to me that for many families the holding of these inquests, with the accompanying media attention, is another cross they have to bear," he said.
In his statement Mr. Leckey also made direct reference to the fact that 30-year-old Mrs. Avril Monaghan had been expecting twins when she and her unborn infants died.
"Who could deny that the true number of fatalities was in reality 31?" he said.
Prior to the start of the evidence Mr. Leckey deferred an applicator by Mr. Barry Fox on behalf of the Monaghan family, asking that the same weight of consideration and recognition be given to the twin baby girls.
The matter is to be dealt with a at later stage in the hearing when the inquests into the other members of the Monaghan family will be heard.
EVIDENCE about the horrific nature of the 3001b car bomb, which killed 29 people and unborn baby girls on August 15 two years ago, has begun to unfold as the Inquest got underway at the town's Leisure Complex, yesterday (Wednesday).
The Inquest is expected to last for four weeks, and over 150 witnesses are expected to give evidence. Yesterday the Inquest heard evidence of the bomb warnings, and how the alert was raised in Belfast and relayed to Omagh RUC Station.
Two telephone bomb warnings were received by a receptionist at the UTV newsroom, in Belfast, half an hour before the 300lb car bomb exploded in Omagh claiming the lives of 29 men, women and children and unborn twin girls, the Omagh Inquest has heard.
Margaret Hall, a programme assistant with the television company, told the Inquest that she received the first of two calls at 2.32pm, from a man with a northern country accent, who told here a 500lb bomb was at the Courthouse and was due to detonate in 30 minutes.
She said she had found it difficult to understand the man due to his accent and had to ask him to repeat himself. He gave either 'Malta Pope' or 'Martha Pope' as a code for the call and also spoke in Irish.
In cross-examination she said the newsroom staff were not provided with any kind of police protocol for dealing with such telephone calls, nor did they have a list of recognised code words.
Ms. Hall also told the court that when the police contacted her again she had told them the 1471 facility could not be used as the calls had come through a switchboard.
She said that it was as she was telephoning the call to police using the '999' emergency number, that the second call came through, and she believed it to be from the same caller, who this time told her the bomb was due to detonate in 15 minutes.
In the second call the man told her that the bomb was in Omagh town. She said the calls were only a couple of minutes apart.
Ms. Hall left the witness stand in tears.
George Mullan, a constable controller at Castlereagh RUC Station, told the hearing that he answered the first call at 2.30pm from a woman called Maggie from the UTV newsroom who told him: "I am only after receiving a phone call from a man with a country accent saying that there was a bomb in Omagh main street near the Courthouse. A 5001b bomb. It is going to go off in 30 minutes".
He went on to reveal how a code word had been given, and said he immediately telephoned Omagh station to alert the police there.
He said he then completed his computer records, logging the call, and said he contacted the receptionist again to see if she had a 1471 facility whereby the call might be traced. However that was not possible.
He said the entire police computer system throughout Northern Ireland was networked, and he was confident that the times recorded were accurate.
In cross examination he said that telephoning Omagh RUC station would have been the quickest and most efficient way to relay the information to police here, and added that a simultaneous record of the bomb warning would have come up on the Omagh computer system when he entered it and "sent it" to Omagh at 2.34pm.
The Inquest, which is expected to last until September 27, has forced peoples' minds back to the events following August 15, 1998, when they waited at the Leisure Complex for news of missing loved ones.
Many of the bereaved who arrived early to take part in the short religious service looked drawn and tired as they were ushered into the youth wing at the complex where the interdenominational service was held.
In a statement Fr. Kevin Mullan, of Christ the King Church, Cappagh, said that it was acknowledged that the first day of the hearing would be difficult for the bereaved.
He said all those involved needed support.
Tribute
He also paid tribute to the many people in various agencies, who had worked hard to support the families and those traumatised by the events of August 15.
He said the Churches Forum hoped those who attended the daily service would find the moments of prayerful reflection helpful, and a means by which people could compose themselves for the day ahead.
Also taking part in the service were Fr. Michael Keavney, parish priest at the Sacred Heart Church in Omagh, Rev. Derek Quinn, rector of Cappagh Parish Church, and Rev. Thomas Breen, from Dromore.
Dr. Brendan McCarthy, senior leader at Omagh Community Church, led the prayers for healing, wisdom, integrity and compassion.
Prayers were also said for those who had lost loved ones and those who were injured physically and psychologically, as well as for those involved in conducting the inquest, the witnesses, and the support staff in various agencies, as well as for the community of Omagh.
Among those to attend the service were Mr. William Thompson, MP, the RUC Sub-Divisional Commander, Mr. James Baxter, officials from Omagh District Council and other clergy from throughout the district and further afield.
In the past month the complex has undergone an extensive refurbishment programme, and the total bill of staging the hearing in Omagh is estimated at �1.5 million.
The Minor Hall has been transformed into a courtroom, complete with wood panelling, carpet, and banks of audio-visual equipment, including two large screens suspended from the ceiling to allow those in the cordoned off viewing galleries to view the proceedings.
There are suites of private rooms for the bereaved off to one side, and a private entrance allowing the families to use a separate entrance from the public and battery of media personnel who have descended on Omagh to record the story of how the 29 victims met their deaths.
Annex
Three consultation rooms and a first aid centre line the corridor outside the hall, and a specially constructed annex for the media and public has been built in the grounds outside.
The facilities were two months in the planning, and it is understood that the construction costs totalled �250,000, while it has cost a further �250,000. for staffing.
Around �1 million has been spent buying in specialist equipment to facilitate the hearing, which will be reabsorbed into the Court Service offices throughout Northern Ireland once the Inquest concludes.
To provide further privacy, the entrances and exits into the Leisure Complex have been screened off with special, opaque marquee coverings.
The hearing is before Belfast Coroner, Mr. John Leckey, who, in his opening statement, said the horrific nature of the bomb had left many people, not just the injured, deeply traumatised, with some still needing professional help.
He told the bereaved, members of the public and the media that the true number of casualties from the bomb was, without doubt, far in excess of the number killed and injured, and said the exact number of those adversely touched by the atrocity might never be known.
He warned that the hearing would be a harrowing time for the bereaved, and would resurrect many sad and unpleasant memories.
"I am very conscious of the fact that for many families Omagh Leisure Complex will forever be associated with this dreadful event, and it cannot be easy to have to return to the Minor Hall to participate in the Inquest hearings," he said,
Mr. Leckey said it had been his "strong wish" to hold the Inquest in Omagh, and he went on to express his hope that the proceedings would be reported sensitively by those in the media.
"It has been made known to me that for many families the holding of these inquests, with the accompanying media attention, is another cross they have to bear," he said.
In his statement Mr. Leckey also made direct reference to the fact that 30-year-old Mrs. Avril Monaghan had been expecting twins when she and her unborn infants died.
"Who could deny that the true number of fatalities was in reality 31?" he said.
Prior to the start of the evidence Mr. Leckey deferred an applicator by Mr. Barry Fox on behalf of the Monaghan family, asking that the same weight of consideration and recognition be given to the twin baby girls.
The matter is to be dealt with a at later stage in the hearing when the inquests into the other members of the Monaghan family will be heard.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1518
Published Date: 07-Sep-00
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