OMAGH BOMB CIVIL CASE RESUMES
Omagh bomb civil case resumes
BY RONAN McSHERRY
The Omagh bomb civil action has resumed in Dublin following an adjourned for the summer holiday. The case is now in its twelfth week having made legal history by sitting in Belfast and Dublin. This week it has been hearing evidence from Gardai officers.
Six families of those killed in the bombing in the town on August 15, 1998 have taken the multi-million pound case against the men they believe were responsible for the atrocity. Twenty-nine people and unborn twins lost their lives while hundreds more were injured. The dissident republicans being sued for the massacre Michael McKevitt, Colm Murphy, Liam Campbell, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna deny liability. The families have sought recourse to a civil action as they believe no-one will ever be convicted in a criminal court of law. The Omagh families are seeking punitive and exemplary damages in this court action.
Much of the testimony in the Republic is based on evidence gathered by David Rupert, the American spy who infiltrated the world of Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt. The American is not attending the trial because of security concerns but his evidence has been deemed admissible.
The civil action has heard barristers for the five men being sued accuse Gardai detectives of 'bending the rules' during their investigations. The legal teams have sought to discredit their evidence as unreliable and therefore inadmissible.
Next week the civil action will returned to the High Court in Belfast.
BY RONAN McSHERRY
The Omagh bomb civil action has resumed in Dublin following an adjourned for the summer holiday. The case is now in its twelfth week having made legal history by sitting in Belfast and Dublin. This week it has been hearing evidence from Gardai officers.
Six families of those killed in the bombing in the town on August 15, 1998 have taken the multi-million pound case against the men they believe were responsible for the atrocity. Twenty-nine people and unborn twins lost their lives while hundreds more were injured. The dissident republicans being sued for the massacre Michael McKevitt, Colm Murphy, Liam Campbell, Seamus Daly and Seamus McKenna deny liability. The families have sought recourse to a civil action as they believe no-one will ever be convicted in a criminal court of law. The Omagh families are seeking punitive and exemplary damages in this court action.
Much of the testimony in the Republic is based on evidence gathered by David Rupert, the American spy who infiltrated the world of Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt. The American is not attending the trial because of security concerns but his evidence has been deemed admissible.
The civil action has heard barristers for the five men being sued accuse Gardai detectives of 'bending the rules' during their investigations. The legal teams have sought to discredit their evidence as unreliable and therefore inadmissible.
Next week the civil action will returned to the High Court in Belfast.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1960
Published Date: 11-Sep-08
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