BOMB WITNESS HAS NO MEMORY OF EVENTS
Bomb witness 'has no memory' of events
BY RONAN MCSHERRY
AN associate of one of the five dissident republicans being sued by the families of the Omagh bomb victims has claimed he does not remember the events about which lawyers want to question him.
In a ruling made at a previous hearing in the multi-million pound civil case, Terence Patrick Morgan was ordered to give evidence at the High Court action despite a claim that he is unfit to attend. Lawyers for three of the defendants want to question him over claims he made during questioning following the attack on August 15, 1998.
Six families of those killed in the bombing in the town 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 are 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.
During interviews with Mr Morgan it was alleged that he falsely signed in one of them, Seamus McKenna, as being at work on the day of the bombing. The court has also heard further claims that he lent his mobile phone to his boss, Colm Murphy, the day before the Real IRA attack. Another allegation to emerge from police transcripts presented to the court involved Mr Morgan saying he was teasingly accused by Seamus Daly of driving the car paced with explosives to the scene of the blast. It was claimed Daly made the taunts when he was drunk on the night of the bombing. Mr Morgan is said to have later retracted some of what he said to police.
When he took the stand at the High Court he said, "No matter what you do with me I can't remember anything."
Seamus McKenna's barrister Brian Fee QC told the trial the witness was claiming to be unwell and receiving psychiatric care. A specialist report on his condition is due to be submitted and Mr Morgan ordered to return to the court later this week.
Deciding to defer his evidence Mr Justice Morgan said the specialist assessment might explain why he claimed to have no recollection. "If that's in the medical report it would be important to understand why that situation arose," said the Judge.
Lawyers for convicted Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt also resisted attempts to have a book on the dissident group being introduced at the trial. Barristers for some of the relatives want to use the book 'Black Operations: The Secret War against the Real IRA as part of their case. However Michael O'Higgins SC representing McKevitt describing the book as the 'finest of fiction' said it would be a 'bridge too far' to allow it as evidence in the case.
The trial continues.
BY RONAN MCSHERRY
AN associate of one of the five dissident republicans being sued by the families of the Omagh bomb victims has claimed he does not remember the events about which lawyers want to question him.
In a ruling made at a previous hearing in the multi-million pound civil case, Terence Patrick Morgan was ordered to give evidence at the High Court action despite a claim that he is unfit to attend. Lawyers for three of the defendants want to question him over claims he made during questioning following the attack on August 15, 1998.
Six families of those killed in the bombing in the town 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 are 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.
During interviews with Mr Morgan it was alleged that he falsely signed in one of them, Seamus McKenna, as being at work on the day of the bombing. The court has also heard further claims that he lent his mobile phone to his boss, Colm Murphy, the day before the Real IRA attack. Another allegation to emerge from police transcripts presented to the court involved Mr Morgan saying he was teasingly accused by Seamus Daly of driving the car paced with explosives to the scene of the blast. It was claimed Daly made the taunts when he was drunk on the night of the bombing. Mr Morgan is said to have later retracted some of what he said to police.
When he took the stand at the High Court he said, "No matter what you do with me I can't remember anything."
Seamus McKenna's barrister Brian Fee QC told the trial the witness was claiming to be unwell and receiving psychiatric care. A specialist report on his condition is due to be submitted and Mr Morgan ordered to return to the court later this week.
Deciding to defer his evidence Mr Justice Morgan said the specialist assessment might explain why he claimed to have no recollection. "If that's in the medical report it would be important to understand why that situation arose," said the Judge.
Lawyers for convicted Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt also resisted attempts to have a book on the dissident group being introduced at the trial. Barristers for some of the relatives want to use the book 'Black Operations: The Secret War against the Real IRA as part of their case. However Michael O'Higgins SC representing McKevitt describing the book as the 'finest of fiction' said it would be a 'bridge too far' to allow it as evidence in the case.
The trial continues.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1971
Published Date: 13-Nov-08
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