ARMY DOCTOR TELLS OF COLLEAGUE'S COLLAPSE
Army doctor tells colleague's collapse
AN Army doctor, who pronounced life extinct on the majority of people killed in the Omagh bomb, told the inquest into their deaths that one of his staff collapsed as they worked on bodies found at S. D. Kells.
Captain Samuel James Owen Potter said that prior to getting the word to go into Omagh he had gone to the medical centre at Lisanelly Barracks to organise medical staff.
At the scene he spoke to Sergeant Philip Marshall, who directed him to bodies in the area.
He said he moved from one deceased to another checking thoroughly for signs of life before pronouncing people dead.
He said that it took him around 40 minutes to do, and at the end he had pronounced life extinct on 20 people.
Talking about the bodies found at or near S. D. Kells, he said the bodies of Mrs. Mary Grimes, her daughter, Mrs. Avril Monaghan, and Mrs. Monaghan's daughter, Maura, were found together.
The captain said that the young woman was lying face down and they turned her over to discover the infant, Maura, beneath her with her arms crossed over her body.
He said he was certain that it was Avril and Maura, and that the baby was with her mother when they died as the memory of it was reinforced by the fact that his medic assistant collapsed when they turned Mrs. Monaghan face up and discovered the child.
The captain went on to outline how he checks for signs of life before pronouncing life extinct.
Coroner: "It may be important for the families that this was carried out to ensure someone was dead. Some of the families might be upset if they thought their family member was not dead at that time."
In cross-examination by Mr. Barry Fox, solicitor, who represents the next of kin of the Monaghan family, the captain said that there was no doubt in his mind that the baby, Maura, was with her mother when the mother and child died.
The Coroner thanked the captain for his evidence and for his very moving account of the reaction of his colleague, and added that there was no doubt from the evidence the captain gave that it was the mother and child, Avril and Maura Monaghan.
Mr. Fox: "We are very thankful to the captain for that clarity."
AN Army doctor, who pronounced life extinct on the majority of people killed in the Omagh bomb, told the inquest into their deaths that one of his staff collapsed as they worked on bodies found at S. D. Kells.
Captain Samuel James Owen Potter said that prior to getting the word to go into Omagh he had gone to the medical centre at Lisanelly Barracks to organise medical staff.
At the scene he spoke to Sergeant Philip Marshall, who directed him to bodies in the area.
He said he moved from one deceased to another checking thoroughly for signs of life before pronouncing people dead.
He said that it took him around 40 minutes to do, and at the end he had pronounced life extinct on 20 people.
Talking about the bodies found at or near S. D. Kells, he said the bodies of Mrs. Mary Grimes, her daughter, Mrs. Avril Monaghan, and Mrs. Monaghan's daughter, Maura, were found together.
The captain said that the young woman was lying face down and they turned her over to discover the infant, Maura, beneath her with her arms crossed over her body.
He said he was certain that it was Avril and Maura, and that the baby was with her mother when they died as the memory of it was reinforced by the fact that his medic assistant collapsed when they turned Mrs. Monaghan face up and discovered the child.
The captain went on to outline how he checks for signs of life before pronouncing life extinct.
Coroner: "It may be important for the families that this was carried out to ensure someone was dead. Some of the families might be upset if they thought their family member was not dead at that time."
In cross-examination by Mr. Barry Fox, solicitor, who represents the next of kin of the Monaghan family, the captain said that there was no doubt in his mind that the baby, Maura, was with her mother when the mother and child died.
The Coroner thanked the captain for his evidence and for his very moving account of the reaction of his colleague, and added that there was no doubt from the evidence the captain gave that it was the mother and child, Avril and Maura Monaghan.
Mr. Fox: "We are very thankful to the captain for that clarity."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1548
Published Date: 21-Sep-00
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