NO WORDS COULD DESCRIBE SUFFERING
No words could describe suffering
AN OMAGH father and son who died in the Omagh bomb were probably the closest to it when it exploded, the Inquest was told.
They had just exited a shop at the lower end of Market Street within seconds of the bomb exploding.
65-year-old retired clerk, Thomas Frederick White and his 27-year-old horticulturist son, Bryan, both of 18 Knockgreenan Avenue, sustained multiple injuries in the blast. Both would have died instantaneously and would have known nothing about what happened, the inquest heard on Monday morning.
A solicitor representing the White family said no words could adequately describe the "inconsolable" suffering felt by Mrs White on the loss of a husband and a son.
She sat in the public courtroom her head bowed as details were released to the inquest.
"The passage of time has done nothing to ease her loss," said her legal representative, Ken Duncan.
Earlier, Coroner Mr Leckey recognised the "serious loss" which Mrs White had sustained.
He said it must have been harrowing for her to hear the details. However, he felt she should be able to glean some comfort to hear that her husband and son would have died instantaneously.
He expressed his deepest sympathy to Mrs White and the family circle.
The last two people to see the Whites alive were mother and son, Ian Frew and Mary Frew, owners of the Salad Bowl.
Mrs Frew said she was in her shop when she heard the police siren and that was the first she knew about the bomb scare.
She noticed a police car stopped at the bottom of Market Street but customers were still coming in. She recalled there was no panic at that stage.
Mr White and his son were in the shop and people were coming in thinking it was another bomb scare.
She recalled Mr White saying there had been a coded warning about the bomb.
Ian Frew said it was just a normal day with nothing unusual happening before he left the shop to make a delivery.
When he returned the bomb scare was underway. He saw Mr White and his son leaving the shop just as the bomb exploded. Witness said he was blown into the counter.
He agreed with the Coroner that had they stayed in the shop they may have had some shelter and protection from the explosion.
Witness said both he and his mother had sustained injuries but had recovered from them.
Autopsy reports read to the court revealed the cause of death in both cases to be "multiple injures due to the bomb explosion."
Thanking the coroner for his sympathy, Mr Duncan said Mrs White wanted to express her thanks to the police officers who were so supportive to her and those people who had helped her in "this great loss."
AN OMAGH father and son who died in the Omagh bomb were probably the closest to it when it exploded, the Inquest was told.
They had just exited a shop at the lower end of Market Street within seconds of the bomb exploding.
65-year-old retired clerk, Thomas Frederick White and his 27-year-old horticulturist son, Bryan, both of 18 Knockgreenan Avenue, sustained multiple injuries in the blast. Both would have died instantaneously and would have known nothing about what happened, the inquest heard on Monday morning.
A solicitor representing the White family said no words could adequately describe the "inconsolable" suffering felt by Mrs White on the loss of a husband and a son.
She sat in the public courtroom her head bowed as details were released to the inquest.
"The passage of time has done nothing to ease her loss," said her legal representative, Ken Duncan.
Earlier, Coroner Mr Leckey recognised the "serious loss" which Mrs White had sustained.
He said it must have been harrowing for her to hear the details. However, he felt she should be able to glean some comfort to hear that her husband and son would have died instantaneously.
He expressed his deepest sympathy to Mrs White and the family circle.
The last two people to see the Whites alive were mother and son, Ian Frew and Mary Frew, owners of the Salad Bowl.
Mrs Frew said she was in her shop when she heard the police siren and that was the first she knew about the bomb scare.
She noticed a police car stopped at the bottom of Market Street but customers were still coming in. She recalled there was no panic at that stage.
Mr White and his son were in the shop and people were coming in thinking it was another bomb scare.
She recalled Mr White saying there had been a coded warning about the bomb.
Ian Frew said it was just a normal day with nothing unusual happening before he left the shop to make a delivery.
When he returned the bomb scare was underway. He saw Mr White and his son leaving the shop just as the bomb exploded. Witness said he was blown into the counter.
He agreed with the Coroner that had they stayed in the shop they may have had some shelter and protection from the explosion.
Witness said both he and his mother had sustained injuries but had recovered from them.
Autopsy reports read to the court revealed the cause of death in both cases to be "multiple injures due to the bomb explosion."
Thanking the coroner for his sympathy, Mr Duncan said Mrs White wanted to express her thanks to the police officers who were so supportive to her and those people who had helped her in "this great loss."
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1468
Published Date: 21-Sep-00
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