MIRACULOUS' ESCAPE OF MAN WHO FOUND HIS WIFE'S BODY
Miraculous' escape of man who found his wife's body
A WOMAN shopping for school uniforms was found dead by her husband in a matter of seconds after the blast.
He had been in a shop next door and escaped injury, a fact the coroner described as miraculous.
The inquest heard Philomena Alice Skelton and her husband, Kevin, had been in the town centre shopping for school uniforms.
Mr Skelton told the inquest his wife had gone into SD Kells' shop while he went into the shop next door. Thirty seconds later the bomb exploded and he found his wife lying face down just inside the shop.
He told the court they had been married for 20 years and had known each other for 25 years.
The coroner, Mr John Leckey asked whether Mr Skelton had been injured in the bomb attack. He said he had received a couple of scratches to his forehead.
"Miraculous," said the coroner.
Mr Skelton described how he had identified his wife at the temporary mortuary at Lisanelly Barracks. Mrs. Skelton was born at Kesh, and was 40 years old.
Patrick Bernard Quinn, of Belvoir Park, Omagh described how he had arrived on the scene of the bomb attack in Market Street and had helped to search the damaged buildings, one of which was Kells. The witness said that he had seen Mrs. Skelton and had assumed that she was dead.
Detective Inspector Colin Milford, told the court that he had liaised with Mr Skelton, who had positively identified the deceased's remains as that of his wife.
Dr Derek Carson, the state pathologist told the coroner's court that from the post mortem examination he had concluded that Mrs. Skelton had died from multiple injuries due to a bomb explosion.
Dr Carson said that Mrs. Skelton would have been close to the seat of the explosion and was facing the blast.
"It seems probable that the extent and severity of these injuries would have caused fairly rapid death." he said.
The coroner extended his very deep sympathy to the family on this tragic death. Mr Leckey said that what had happened was a terrible event and he acknowledged the difficulties that would be experienced by the family in coming to terms with it.
A WOMAN shopping for school uniforms was found dead by her husband in a matter of seconds after the blast.
He had been in a shop next door and escaped injury, a fact the coroner described as miraculous.
The inquest heard Philomena Alice Skelton and her husband, Kevin, had been in the town centre shopping for school uniforms.
Mr Skelton told the inquest his wife had gone into SD Kells' shop while he went into the shop next door. Thirty seconds later the bomb exploded and he found his wife lying face down just inside the shop.
He told the court they had been married for 20 years and had known each other for 25 years.
The coroner, Mr John Leckey asked whether Mr Skelton had been injured in the bomb attack. He said he had received a couple of scratches to his forehead.
"Miraculous," said the coroner.
Mr Skelton described how he had identified his wife at the temporary mortuary at Lisanelly Barracks. Mrs. Skelton was born at Kesh, and was 40 years old.
Patrick Bernard Quinn, of Belvoir Park, Omagh described how he had arrived on the scene of the bomb attack in Market Street and had helped to search the damaged buildings, one of which was Kells. The witness said that he had seen Mrs. Skelton and had assumed that she was dead.
Detective Inspector Colin Milford, told the court that he had liaised with Mr Skelton, who had positively identified the deceased's remains as that of his wife.
Dr Derek Carson, the state pathologist told the coroner's court that from the post mortem examination he had concluded that Mrs. Skelton had died from multiple injuries due to a bomb explosion.
Dr Carson said that Mrs. Skelton would have been close to the seat of the explosion and was facing the blast.
"It seems probable that the extent and severity of these injuries would have caused fairly rapid death." he said.
The coroner extended his very deep sympathy to the family on this tragic death. Mr Leckey said that what had happened was a terrible event and he acknowledged the difficulties that would be experienced by the family in coming to terms with it.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1554
Published Date: 21-Sep-00
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