THIRD WEEK OF OMAGH BOMB CIVIL ACTION
Third week of Omagh bomb civil action
BY RONAN McSHERRY
THE civil trial of five dissident republicans being sued over the Omagh bomb massacre will resume again next week after being adjourned on Tuesday.
The men deny any part in the Real IRA bombing of Market Street that killed 29 people and unborn twins on August 15, 1998. The men being sued are Michael McKevitt, Colm Murphy, Liam Campbell, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna. The families have sought recourse to a civil action as they believe no-one will ever be convicted in a criminal court of law.
In the last week the hearing in Belfast High Court has been told that the wife of one of the men lied to police about phone contact the pair had less than an hour after the explosion. It was also revealed key Real IRA men held dual membership within its political wing, the 32 County Sovereignty Movement. In his opening submission to the trial Lord Brennan QC for the six Omagh taking the action said they would seek money not only from the Real IRA but the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and the Irish Prisoners Welfare Association as well as the five men.
A police witness told the High Court Catherine McKenna, whose estranged husband Seamus is among the men named in the multi-million-pound civil action, at first claimed to have been in Galway the day of the atrocity.
She gave the false whereabouts to detectives who told her they suspected that a mobile phone which had been used to call her home in south Armagh was in the car that took the explosives to Omagh.
Brian Fee, QC for Seamus McKenna stated, "She was an extremely suggestible lady. If you said something to her, her natural inclination was to try and agree with it." Mr Fee claimed Mrs McKenna had been so frightened during questioning that she could not stop her hands shaking long enough to sign forms. John Gilmore who the detective sergeant who interviewed Catherine McKenna replied, "All I wanted out of this lady was the truth-what she knew in relation to receiving the phone call."
The High Court has also heard the paramilitary organisation behind the Omagh atrocity had up to 400 members plotting to wreck the peace process. A government dossier revealed at the trial also claimed key Real IRA men held dual membership within its political wing, the 32 County Sovereignty Movement.
The document estimated that the Real IRA consisted of 150 members directly involved in supporting terrorist attacks, with another 250 members prepared to assist through other methods including finance and criminal activity.
The dossier disclosed to the court made clear the Real IRA's 'raison d'etre' was to continue the armed struggle in Ireland and take over from the Provisional IRA as the main republican organisation. The explosion that ripped Omagh apart occurred months after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.
Brett Lochart QC for the Omagh bomb victims' families then pointed to key players being involved in both the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and the Real IRA. The Sovereignty Movement had always denied links to the Real IRA. Dermott Fee QC for Seamus Daly and Colm Murphy contested the admissibility of the extracts. However the judge, Mr Justice Declan Morgan, declared it could be admitted under legislation.
The trial will resume on Monday.
BY RONAN McSHERRY
THE civil trial of five dissident republicans being sued over the Omagh bomb massacre will resume again next week after being adjourned on Tuesday.
The men deny any part in the Real IRA bombing of Market Street that killed 29 people and unborn twins on August 15, 1998. The men being sued are Michael McKevitt, Colm Murphy, Liam Campbell, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna. The families have sought recourse to a civil action as they believe no-one will ever be convicted in a criminal court of law.
In the last week the hearing in Belfast High Court has been told that the wife of one of the men lied to police about phone contact the pair had less than an hour after the explosion. It was also revealed key Real IRA men held dual membership within its political wing, the 32 County Sovereignty Movement. In his opening submission to the trial Lord Brennan QC for the six Omagh taking the action said they would seek money not only from the Real IRA but the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and the Irish Prisoners Welfare Association as well as the five men.
A police witness told the High Court Catherine McKenna, whose estranged husband Seamus is among the men named in the multi-million-pound civil action, at first claimed to have been in Galway the day of the atrocity.
She gave the false whereabouts to detectives who told her they suspected that a mobile phone which had been used to call her home in south Armagh was in the car that took the explosives to Omagh.
Brian Fee, QC for Seamus McKenna stated, "She was an extremely suggestible lady. If you said something to her, her natural inclination was to try and agree with it." Mr Fee claimed Mrs McKenna had been so frightened during questioning that she could not stop her hands shaking long enough to sign forms. John Gilmore who the detective sergeant who interviewed Catherine McKenna replied, "All I wanted out of this lady was the truth-what she knew in relation to receiving the phone call."
The High Court has also heard the paramilitary organisation behind the Omagh atrocity had up to 400 members plotting to wreck the peace process. A government dossier revealed at the trial also claimed key Real IRA men held dual membership within its political wing, the 32 County Sovereignty Movement.
The document estimated that the Real IRA consisted of 150 members directly involved in supporting terrorist attacks, with another 250 members prepared to assist through other methods including finance and criminal activity.
The dossier disclosed to the court made clear the Real IRA's 'raison d'etre' was to continue the armed struggle in Ireland and take over from the Provisional IRA as the main republican organisation. The explosion that ripped Omagh apart occurred months after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.
Brett Lochart QC for the Omagh bomb victims' families then pointed to key players being involved in both the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and the Real IRA. The Sovereignty Movement had always denied links to the Real IRA. Dermott Fee QC for Seamus Daly and Colm Murphy contested the admissibility of the extracts. However the judge, Mr Justice Declan Morgan, declared it could be admitted under legislation.
The trial will resume on Monday.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1940
Published Date: 24-Apr-08
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