MURDER OUR FAMILIES AND WE WILL COME AFTER YOU
....Murder our families and we will come after you' - Message to terrorists
by Julie Moore
"A MESSAGE should go out terrorists now - murder our families and we will come after you," those were the words of Michael Gallagher following this week's ground-breaking civil action victory for the relatives of the 31 people murdered in the Omagh bomb atrocity.
Describing his relief at finally having brought those responsible for the 1998 attack on innocent civilians to justice this week, Mr Gallagher, who lost his 21-year-old son, Aiden, in the atrocity, said the landmark case had paved the way for other bereaved famines to follow now.
"This is not just a great victory for the Omagh families, but also for victims' families at home and around the world. Victims' families - you can do what we have done, pursue those who have murdered your famines. Governments - if you don't do your job we will do it," he said.
"After this week's events, every decent person has won because terrorists have been sent a very strong message - even if you are clever enough to cover up your tracks so the police cannot convict you, the famines can."
Judge, Mr Justice Declan Morgan, found four men, Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Seamus Daly and Colm Murphy, responsible for the car bomb which ripped through the heart of Omagh on August 15, 1998 - a date which has become ingrained in the minds of the family members left behind.
The judge ruled that the Real IRA was liable for damages totalling �1.6 million to the bereaved families.
Stating that the civil action victory was "history in the making", Godfrey Wilson, whose daughter, Lorraine, died in the atrocity, told the Tyrone Constitution of his hopes that other families would benefit from Monday's judgment, in their own pursuit for justice.
"People can now take a case against terrorists," he said. "Hopefully others will see what we have done and be able to do the same, bring terrorists to justice. We have highlighted these people for the criminals that they are, and now families who lost loved ones can have some joy in knowing that the court does work, because we fought tirelessly to make this happen."
In a message to the four men who had been judged responsible on Monday for the Omagh bomb, Mr Wilson said: "There is more than one way to deal with the situation in this country - it doesn't have to be the 'bomb and the bullet'.
"We are all human beings trying to get through our lives, you don't have to take away someone's life to make a political point, you can make it through talking and through the ballot box.
"It's not just myself and my wife and my immediate family that have been affected by the loss of Lorraine, there were so many people that were hurt by her loss, and all because of someone with a political issue - I don't think anyone needs to go down that road - the pain of murder is too deep and too hurtful and can only cause more destruction."
by Julie Moore
"A MESSAGE should go out terrorists now - murder our families and we will come after you," those were the words of Michael Gallagher following this week's ground-breaking civil action victory for the relatives of the 31 people murdered in the Omagh bomb atrocity.
Describing his relief at finally having brought those responsible for the 1998 attack on innocent civilians to justice this week, Mr Gallagher, who lost his 21-year-old son, Aiden, in the atrocity, said the landmark case had paved the way for other bereaved famines to follow now.
"This is not just a great victory for the Omagh families, but also for victims' families at home and around the world. Victims' families - you can do what we have done, pursue those who have murdered your famines. Governments - if you don't do your job we will do it," he said.
"After this week's events, every decent person has won because terrorists have been sent a very strong message - even if you are clever enough to cover up your tracks so the police cannot convict you, the famines can."
Judge, Mr Justice Declan Morgan, found four men, Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Seamus Daly and Colm Murphy, responsible for the car bomb which ripped through the heart of Omagh on August 15, 1998 - a date which has become ingrained in the minds of the family members left behind.
The judge ruled that the Real IRA was liable for damages totalling �1.6 million to the bereaved families.
Stating that the civil action victory was "history in the making", Godfrey Wilson, whose daughter, Lorraine, died in the atrocity, told the Tyrone Constitution of his hopes that other families would benefit from Monday's judgment, in their own pursuit for justice.
"People can now take a case against terrorists," he said. "Hopefully others will see what we have done and be able to do the same, bring terrorists to justice. We have highlighted these people for the criminals that they are, and now families who lost loved ones can have some joy in knowing that the court does work, because we fought tirelessly to make this happen."
In a message to the four men who had been judged responsible on Monday for the Omagh bomb, Mr Wilson said: "There is more than one way to deal with the situation in this country - it doesn't have to be the 'bomb and the bullet'.
"We are all human beings trying to get through our lives, you don't have to take away someone's life to make a political point, you can make it through talking and through the ballot box.
"It's not just myself and my wife and my immediate family that have been affected by the loss of Lorraine, there were so many people that were hurt by her loss, and all because of someone with a political issue - I don't think anyone needs to go down that road - the pain of murder is too deep and too hurtful and can only cause more destruction."
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/1983
Published Date: 11-Jun-09
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