VICTIMS FATHER SAYS MURPHY IS STILL RESPONSIBLE FOR BLAST
Victim's father says Murphy is 'still responsible' for blast
Omagh accused is cleared for the second time
BY RONAN McSHERRY
r. mcsherry@ulsterherald. com
DESPITE the fact Colm Murphy was cleared, yesterday, for the second time of plotting to cause the Omagh bomb, a father who lost his teenage daughter in the Real IRA attack, has said "it is recorded in law" that the dissident Republican was one of the people responsible for the atrocity.
Hundreds of people were injured and maimed, while 31 people, including unborn twin girls, were killed when the bomb devastated the town on August 15,1998.
No-one has been convicted in a criminal court in relation to the bombing, however, Murphy along with Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell and Seamus Daly were found to be responsible for the attack in a landmark civil case brought by some of the families of the Omagh victims last year. The burden of proof is much higher in criminal law than civil.
In 2002, Murphy (57), who is originally from Co Armagh but has an address at Jordan's Corner, Ravensdale, Co Louth, was found guilty of conspiracy to cause the Real IRA atrocity. However the Irish Court of Criminal Appeal quashed the conviction in 2005 and ordered a retrial.
The builder, who was facing a retrial at the non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin, walked free yesterday (Wednesday) after three judges ruled there was no evidence with which he could be convicted. He had been on bail since his successful appeal in 2005. In his verdict, Mr Justice Butler said evidence from members of the Gardai was inadmissible.
The prosecution claimed he lent two mobile phones to a man who was involved in transporting the car bomb from Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, to Omagh, where it exploded. Murphy has always denied the charge.
He is the second man to be acquitted in relation to the Omagh bomb, as Sean Hoey, a South Armagh electrician, walked free from Belfast Crown Court in December 2007 after a judge cleared him of all charges related to the bombing and a host of other Real IRA attacks.
Godfrey Wilson lost his 15-year-old daughter Lorraine in the atrocity. He described the court decision to clear Murphy as "sickening."
Pointing to the civil case which found Murphy responsible for the Omagh bomb attack, he said, "I just can't believe these criminal court cases in relation to Omagh. I sat through the civil case and heard how the entire operation was carried out and yet no-one can be held to account in a criminal court. It is unbelievable. I don't understand how the justice system cannot convict a single person of the murders. The amount of evidence I saw in the court during the civil case leaves me mystified that Murphy or no-one has been convicted."
Mr Wilson added that the decision in yesterday's court has further justified the civil action taken by Omagh families.
"When I see how the courts have handled this, I am glad we did go with the civil case.
"We have had our day in court and it is still running. It is on the record and written up in the courts of law, that these people, including Colm Murphy, were responsible for the Omagh bomb."
Omagh accused is cleared for the second time
BY RONAN McSHERRY
r. mcsherry@ulsterherald. com
DESPITE the fact Colm Murphy was cleared, yesterday, for the second time of plotting to cause the Omagh bomb, a father who lost his teenage daughter in the Real IRA attack, has said "it is recorded in law" that the dissident Republican was one of the people responsible for the atrocity.
Hundreds of people were injured and maimed, while 31 people, including unborn twin girls, were killed when the bomb devastated the town on August 15,1998.
No-one has been convicted in a criminal court in relation to the bombing, however, Murphy along with Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell and Seamus Daly were found to be responsible for the attack in a landmark civil case brought by some of the families of the Omagh victims last year. The burden of proof is much higher in criminal law than civil.
In 2002, Murphy (57), who is originally from Co Armagh but has an address at Jordan's Corner, Ravensdale, Co Louth, was found guilty of conspiracy to cause the Real IRA atrocity. However the Irish Court of Criminal Appeal quashed the conviction in 2005 and ordered a retrial.
The builder, who was facing a retrial at the non-jury Special Criminal Court in Dublin, walked free yesterday (Wednesday) after three judges ruled there was no evidence with which he could be convicted. He had been on bail since his successful appeal in 2005. In his verdict, Mr Justice Butler said evidence from members of the Gardai was inadmissible.
The prosecution claimed he lent two mobile phones to a man who was involved in transporting the car bomb from Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, to Omagh, where it exploded. Murphy has always denied the charge.
He is the second man to be acquitted in relation to the Omagh bomb, as Sean Hoey, a South Armagh electrician, walked free from Belfast Crown Court in December 2007 after a judge cleared him of all charges related to the bombing and a host of other Real IRA attacks.
Godfrey Wilson lost his 15-year-old daughter Lorraine in the atrocity. He described the court decision to clear Murphy as "sickening."
Pointing to the civil case which found Murphy responsible for the Omagh bomb attack, he said, "I just can't believe these criminal court cases in relation to Omagh. I sat through the civil case and heard how the entire operation was carried out and yet no-one can be held to account in a criminal court. It is unbelievable. I don't understand how the justice system cannot convict a single person of the murders. The amount of evidence I saw in the court during the civil case leaves me mystified that Murphy or no-one has been convicted."
Mr Wilson added that the decision in yesterday's court has further justified the civil action taken by Omagh families.
"When I see how the courts have handled this, I am glad we did go with the civil case.
"We have had our day in court and it is still running. It is on the record and written up in the courts of law, that these people, including Colm Murphy, were responsible for the Omagh bomb."
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1990
Published Date: 25-Jan-10
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