GRIEF OF GIRL'S FAMILY WILL GO WITH THEM ALL THEIR DAYS
Grief of girl's family will go with them all their days - solicitor tells inquest
TWENTY-year-old Debra-Ann Cartwright was laughing and joking with friends just minutes, before the blast which caused her fatal injuries, the inquest heard.
She had been evacuated from the salon in which she worked, and was with her employer and employer's daughter when the bomb went off.
Malcolm Fegan, Miss Cartwright's boyfriend, said he last saw her at Caroline's Beauty shop.
Mr Fegan told the court the he had positively identified the body of Debra-Ann at 00.45 on August 16. He had given a detailed description of his girlfriend to Sergeant Robert Wilson.
Mr Fegan said that he had identified Debra-Ann Cartwright from her face and hands.
Dr Vishwesh War Vunnam Rao, was the doctor in charge of casualty department at the Tyrone County Hospital on August 15, in the aftermath of the bomb explosion.
He said that he had performed a form of triage, to ascertain the extent of the injuries of those admitted.
Dr Rao told the court how he saw a young girl aged 18-20 years old of slim build. She had a ring in her bellybutton, he said.
"I ascertained that she was not breathing and was bleeding. She was unconscious," he added.
The doctor also said that her breathing became erratic and he could not obtain a pulse.
"A drip was administered and she was incubated. CPR was then carried out all these measures failed and at 15.30 I pronounced life extinct," he told the court.
The inquest heard that on admission to the hospital Miss Cartwright was not breathing, but she was brought around again.
Caroline McKinney, owner of the beauty salon at 41A High Street, which is situated above Kelly's chemists, told the court how her employee and good friend, Miss Cartwright was there first thing on Saturday morning and opened up the premises.
She described how 'Debbie' had gone out to get cigarettes and a newspaper at around 2.30pm, taking Caroline's little daughter Niamh along with her.
Mrs. McKinney said she heard the commotion outside but thought it was to do with the floats parade which was due to take place.
Following the police evacuation, the two women met up in the area of Market Street and 13-month-old Niamh was put into the push chair that her mother had brought along.
Ten minutes later the bomb exploded Mrs. McKinney described how she felt the sensation of the explosion and saw things falling around her.
She said that part of the front of McElroy's shoe shop was lying on top of her.
She said that she saw Debbie lying unconscious, and saw her own daughter lying in the street with blood on her face.
Mrs. McKinney told the court that from where she was lying Miss Cartwright looked as if she was in a foetal position.
"At this stage I started screaming at Debbie to wake up," she said.
She recalled how a policeman put her into a car outside Supervalu. Mrs. McKinney said that she told the policeman that she had been with Debra-Ann Cartwright and told him that her father was Constable Cartwright.
The court heard how 13-month-old Niamh still has a piece of shrapnel in her head and had received surgery. The young mother said that she was a healthy three-year-old now.
"Debbie was on my right side, we were laughing and joking there a few minutes earlier," she said.
"It was really chance, who would live and who would die," said the coroner.
Dr Carson, deputy state pathologist who conducted the postmortem examination told the court that Debra-Ann Cartwright had died due to laceration of the brain, left lung liver and spleen due to the bomb explosion.
The pathologist said that her injuries suggested that she was not all that close to the seat of the explosion.
Some of her injuries were caused by the blunt force of the explosion and death would not have been immediate, he said.
The coroner, Mr Leckey extended his very deep sympathy to the family and boyfriend of Debra-Ann Cartwright, on their tragic loss.
"Chance does play a part and it can be a lottery who lives and who dies," Mr Leckey said.
He described the car bomb was an indiscriminate weapon, from which Debra-Ann had sustained injuries that led to her death.
Mr Ken Duncan, the solicitor representing the family of Miss Cartwright said it was a struggle to find appropriate words to describe the loss sustained by his clients.
"The grief which has struck them has been overwhelming," he said.
"It is a grief that will go with them for all their days," he added.
Mr Duncan expressed thanks to the police and to all those who had assisted on that day, on behalf of the Cartwrights.
TWENTY-year-old Debra-Ann Cartwright was laughing and joking with friends just minutes, before the blast which caused her fatal injuries, the inquest heard.
She had been evacuated from the salon in which she worked, and was with her employer and employer's daughter when the bomb went off.
Malcolm Fegan, Miss Cartwright's boyfriend, said he last saw her at Caroline's Beauty shop.
Mr Fegan told the court the he had positively identified the body of Debra-Ann at 00.45 on August 16. He had given a detailed description of his girlfriend to Sergeant Robert Wilson.
Mr Fegan said that he had identified Debra-Ann Cartwright from her face and hands.
Dr Vishwesh War Vunnam Rao, was the doctor in charge of casualty department at the Tyrone County Hospital on August 15, in the aftermath of the bomb explosion.
He said that he had performed a form of triage, to ascertain the extent of the injuries of those admitted.
Dr Rao told the court how he saw a young girl aged 18-20 years old of slim build. She had a ring in her bellybutton, he said.
"I ascertained that she was not breathing and was bleeding. She was unconscious," he added.
The doctor also said that her breathing became erratic and he could not obtain a pulse.
"A drip was administered and she was incubated. CPR was then carried out all these measures failed and at 15.30 I pronounced life extinct," he told the court.
The inquest heard that on admission to the hospital Miss Cartwright was not breathing, but she was brought around again.
Caroline McKinney, owner of the beauty salon at 41A High Street, which is situated above Kelly's chemists, told the court how her employee and good friend, Miss Cartwright was there first thing on Saturday morning and opened up the premises.
She described how 'Debbie' had gone out to get cigarettes and a newspaper at around 2.30pm, taking Caroline's little daughter Niamh along with her.
Mrs. McKinney said she heard the commotion outside but thought it was to do with the floats parade which was due to take place.
Following the police evacuation, the two women met up in the area of Market Street and 13-month-old Niamh was put into the push chair that her mother had brought along.
Ten minutes later the bomb exploded Mrs. McKinney described how she felt the sensation of the explosion and saw things falling around her.
She said that part of the front of McElroy's shoe shop was lying on top of her.
She said that she saw Debbie lying unconscious, and saw her own daughter lying in the street with blood on her face.
Mrs. McKinney told the court that from where she was lying Miss Cartwright looked as if she was in a foetal position.
"At this stage I started screaming at Debbie to wake up," she said.
She recalled how a policeman put her into a car outside Supervalu. Mrs. McKinney said that she told the policeman that she had been with Debra-Ann Cartwright and told him that her father was Constable Cartwright.
The court heard how 13-month-old Niamh still has a piece of shrapnel in her head and had received surgery. The young mother said that she was a healthy three-year-old now.
"Debbie was on my right side, we were laughing and joking there a few minutes earlier," she said.
"It was really chance, who would live and who would die," said the coroner.
Dr Carson, deputy state pathologist who conducted the postmortem examination told the court that Debra-Ann Cartwright had died due to laceration of the brain, left lung liver and spleen due to the bomb explosion.
The pathologist said that her injuries suggested that she was not all that close to the seat of the explosion.
Some of her injuries were caused by the blunt force of the explosion and death would not have been immediate, he said.
The coroner, Mr Leckey extended his very deep sympathy to the family and boyfriend of Debra-Ann Cartwright, on their tragic loss.
"Chance does play a part and it can be a lottery who lives and who dies," Mr Leckey said.
He described the car bomb was an indiscriminate weapon, from which Debra-Ann had sustained injuries that led to her death.
Mr Ken Duncan, the solicitor representing the family of Miss Cartwright said it was a struggle to find appropriate words to describe the loss sustained by his clients.
"The grief which has struck them has been overwhelming," he said.
"It is a grief that will go with them for all their days," he added.
Mr Duncan expressed thanks to the police and to all those who had assisted on that day, on behalf of the Cartwrights.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1553
Published Date: 21-Sep-00
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