Omagh Bomb Civil Case Underway

The people alleged to be at the heart of the worst atrocity of Northern Ireland's Troubles are facing a court action.

The civil legal action against those accused of plotting the Omagh bomb attack, which killed 29 people started today.

The relatives of those who died in the dissident republican 'Real IRA' attack in 1998 have issued a case against five men they claim are responsible.

Opening the case at the High Court in Belfast, Lord Daniel Brennan QC, who is representing the families, described the attack as "a massacre of innocents".

Lord Brennan also said that the case was an "unprecedented civil action".

The police's handling of the case is already being re-examined by the man who has previously investigated Special Branch's role in the aftermath of the atrocity.

Sir Dan Crompton delivered an interim verbal report to the NI Policing Board last Thursday, with a final written report due by the end of next month.

To date, nobody has been convicted of the horrific bombing, but named on the action, starting in Belfast are alleged Real IRA figures Colm Murphy, Liam Campbell and Michael McKevitt as well as Seamus McKenna and Seamus Daly.

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan, 21, died, said: "It's going to be difficult coming so soon after the trial of Sean Hoey, but we are confident in our legal team and we put our trust in the courts."

Hoey, an electrician from Jonesboro, south Armagh, was cleared of involvement in Omagh on December 20 last year.

McKevitt, 58, is awaiting judgement in an appeal against a conviction in the Irish Republic for directing terrorism.

He has won a fight for full legal aid to defend the multi-million pound compensation case.

Campbell, 43, was held in Portlaoise Prison in the Republic of Ireland on terrorism charges unconnected to Omagh.

Colm Murphy, 56, was sentenced to 14 years in prison in January 2002 for conspiracy to cause the Omagh explosion, but the conviction was overturned on appeal and he is awaiting a retrial.

All five are defending against the action and deny any involvement in the attack.

Part of the court proceedings will be relocated to Dublin in an historic step to allow the judge, Mr Justice Morgan, to hear evidence from 24 garda officers.

See: Omagh Bomb Investigation Probed Again

(BMcC)