18 YEAR OLD VICTIM HAD BEEN SHOPPING WITH HIS MOTHER
Eighteen-year-old victim had been in town shopping with his mother
THE first of six inquests on victims of the bombing to be heard last Thursday was that of Carrickmore teenager, Gareth Conway.
The 18-year-old had just left Omagh Technical College and had been accepted for a place on an electronic engineering course at Magee College.
Coroner John Leckey was told how he had been standing close to the seat of the explosion, facing away from the vehicle, when the car bomb exploded.
Gareth had been in town shopping with his mother, Marie and had gone off to do look in some shops on his own.
Robert Watson from Classic Menswear told the court that the deceased had been one of the last out of the fitting room of his shop after police issued a warning to clear the street. Mr Watson said he pulled the shutters and joined others in Market Street. He suffered a slight hand injury in the incident.
Constable Norman Haslett gave evidence of attending two bodies in Market Street, one of which he knew to be that of Mr Conway.
After the deceased had been taken to the temporary mortuary at Lisanelly Army Barracks, Sergeant Robert Wilson of the RUC's Body Recovery and Identification Unit accompanied the victim's mother who positively identified the remains to be those of her son.
Mrs Conway told the inquest that her son had been born on 12th April, 1980, and had worked at Omagh Meats for a month prior to his death. She said she had been shopping in town with him on 15th August 1998, and at about 2.10pm he had gone off to shop on his own. When she last saw him he had been wearing a cream corduroy shirt, black jeans and black shoes.
She told Mr Leckey she had been in the car park behind SuperValu when the bomb was detonated. She was not injured.
Detective Constable Angus McComb gave evidence of receiving the deceased's remains at the mortuary at Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital, prior to a post mortem examination on the Monday morning after the explosion.
Now retired deputy state pathologist for Northern Ireland, Dr Derek Carson said he believed death was caused as a result of multiple injuries due to the explosion.
In a summary of his principal findings, Mr Carson said Mr Conway had sustained multiple severe shrapnel injuries to the back left side of his body. He suggested the victim had been standing fairly close at the time of the explosion.
Death, he said, would have been rapid and was due to the combined effect of his injuries. He would have been unconscious from the outset and would not have felt any pain.
Before leaving the court, Mr Conway's sister Marita requested to view autopsy photographs, explaining that she wanted to put a picture to what she had read of her brother's injuries. After cautioning, the coroner granted her request and the deputy state pathologist showed her four photographs.
The coroner then extended sympathy to the Conway family adding that he believed the tragedy was something which would live with them always.
THE first of six inquests on victims of the bombing to be heard last Thursday was that of Carrickmore teenager, Gareth Conway.
The 18-year-old had just left Omagh Technical College and had been accepted for a place on an electronic engineering course at Magee College.
Coroner John Leckey was told how he had been standing close to the seat of the explosion, facing away from the vehicle, when the car bomb exploded.
Gareth had been in town shopping with his mother, Marie and had gone off to do look in some shops on his own.
Robert Watson from Classic Menswear told the court that the deceased had been one of the last out of the fitting room of his shop after police issued a warning to clear the street. Mr Watson said he pulled the shutters and joined others in Market Street. He suffered a slight hand injury in the incident.
Constable Norman Haslett gave evidence of attending two bodies in Market Street, one of which he knew to be that of Mr Conway.
After the deceased had been taken to the temporary mortuary at Lisanelly Army Barracks, Sergeant Robert Wilson of the RUC's Body Recovery and Identification Unit accompanied the victim's mother who positively identified the remains to be those of her son.
Mrs Conway told the inquest that her son had been born on 12th April, 1980, and had worked at Omagh Meats for a month prior to his death. She said she had been shopping in town with him on 15th August 1998, and at about 2.10pm he had gone off to shop on his own. When she last saw him he had been wearing a cream corduroy shirt, black jeans and black shoes.
She told Mr Leckey she had been in the car park behind SuperValu when the bomb was detonated. She was not injured.
Detective Constable Angus McComb gave evidence of receiving the deceased's remains at the mortuary at Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital, prior to a post mortem examination on the Monday morning after the explosion.
Now retired deputy state pathologist for Northern Ireland, Dr Derek Carson said he believed death was caused as a result of multiple injuries due to the explosion.
In a summary of his principal findings, Mr Carson said Mr Conway had sustained multiple severe shrapnel injuries to the back left side of his body. He suggested the victim had been standing fairly close at the time of the explosion.
Death, he said, would have been rapid and was due to the combined effect of his injuries. He would have been unconscious from the outset and would not have felt any pain.
Before leaving the court, Mr Conway's sister Marita requested to view autopsy photographs, explaining that she wanted to put a picture to what she had read of her brother's injuries. After cautioning, the coroner granted her request and the deputy state pathologist showed her four photographs.
The coroner then extended sympathy to the Conway family adding that he believed the tragedy was something which would live with them always.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1466
Published Date: 21-Sep-00
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