MOTHER TELLS OF UPS AND DOWNS SINCE DEATH OF SON
Mother tells of ups and downs since death of son
THE mother of teenage bomb victim, Gareth Conway, told the inquest into her son's death that she has barely coped since her son died and has periods of 'ups and downs".
She said that she had been in town shopping and last saw her son an hour before the explosion, when they had separated so that Gareth could do his own shopping.
Constable Norman George Haslett said he attended to two bodies near Nicholl and Shiels, one of whom he now knew to be Gareth Conway.
Sergeant Robert Wilson said that the body of Gareth was identified to him by Mrs. Marie Conway, who confirmed it was her son.
In evidence, Mrs. Conway said her son had been working at Omagh Meats at the time of the bombing, and she had been in Omagh shopping at 2.10pm, when Gareth went off on his own.
She said she had been in the car park behind Supervalu when the bomb detonated and had not been injured, but it had been very difficult to relive from time to time with periods of "ups and downs".
Mr. Robert Watson said he had been working in Classic Menswear when a police officer entered the shop and informed him that there was a bomb at the top of the town.
The customers in the shop left and he locked the premises. He said he did not know the customers apart from a young man that had been in the fitting room who was Gareth Conway.
He said that when the bomb detonated he was blown into the newsagents on top of the proprietor, Mr. Jim Sharkey.
The then deputy state pathologist, Dr. Derek Carson, who has since retired, said he concluded that the cause of Mr. Conway's death was multiple injuries due to an explosion. In a summary read to the inquest he said Mr. Conway had suffered severe injury to his back, as well as a head injury.
The severity and intensity of the injuries lead him to believe that Mr. Conway had been quite close to the site of the explosion.
He said the head injury was such that it caused unconsciousness from which Mr. Conway would never have recovered.
"In this case and the majority of all other cases, medical treatment would have made no difference. Gareth's injury was not survivable. He would have been unconscious from the outset," Dr. Carson said.
He added that Gareth would have felt no pain and would not have been in any distress.
The coroner went on to express his sympathy to the family and said he was sure it was something that would live with the family always.
THE mother of teenage bomb victim, Gareth Conway, told the inquest into her son's death that she has barely coped since her son died and has periods of 'ups and downs".
She said that she had been in town shopping and last saw her son an hour before the explosion, when they had separated so that Gareth could do his own shopping.
Constable Norman George Haslett said he attended to two bodies near Nicholl and Shiels, one of whom he now knew to be Gareth Conway.
Sergeant Robert Wilson said that the body of Gareth was identified to him by Mrs. Marie Conway, who confirmed it was her son.
In evidence, Mrs. Conway said her son had been working at Omagh Meats at the time of the bombing, and she had been in Omagh shopping at 2.10pm, when Gareth went off on his own.
She said she had been in the car park behind Supervalu when the bomb detonated and had not been injured, but it had been very difficult to relive from time to time with periods of "ups and downs".
Mr. Robert Watson said he had been working in Classic Menswear when a police officer entered the shop and informed him that there was a bomb at the top of the town.
The customers in the shop left and he locked the premises. He said he did not know the customers apart from a young man that had been in the fitting room who was Gareth Conway.
He said that when the bomb detonated he was blown into the newsagents on top of the proprietor, Mr. Jim Sharkey.
The then deputy state pathologist, Dr. Derek Carson, who has since retired, said he concluded that the cause of Mr. Conway's death was multiple injuries due to an explosion. In a summary read to the inquest he said Mr. Conway had suffered severe injury to his back, as well as a head injury.
The severity and intensity of the injuries lead him to believe that Mr. Conway had been quite close to the site of the explosion.
He said the head injury was such that it caused unconsciousness from which Mr. Conway would never have recovered.
"In this case and the majority of all other cases, medical treatment would have made no difference. Gareth's injury was not survivable. He would have been unconscious from the outset," Dr. Carson said.
He added that Gareth would have felt no pain and would not have been in any distress.
The coroner went on to express his sympathy to the family and said he was sure it was something that would live with the family always.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1536
Published Date: 21-Sep-00
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