Justice for the Omagh dead 11 years on

RELATIVES of the Omagh bomb victims yesterday won a landmark civil action against four men they blamed for the atrocity in which 29 people died.

Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt and three other republicans – Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly – were found to have been responsible for the slaughter in the County Tyrone town nearly 11 years ago.

The Real IRA as an organisation was also found liable by a judge in the Northern Ireland High Court, in Belfast, who awarded 12 named relatives damages of more than £1.6 million.

He said: "The senseless and indiscriminate nature of this appalling outrage has deeply affected each of them. For many, the effects are catastrophic and their lives will never be the same again."

General and aggravated damages awarded ranged from £70,000 for a boy who was ten when he lost his sister in the blast, to £337,500 for a man who lost his wife. However, the families said it was never about the money but finally getting justice for their lost loved ones.

The relatives launched their civil action in April last year after the failure of the police to secure a criminal conviction. The only man charged with murder, Sean Hoey, of South Armagh, was acquitted shortly before the civil action started.

After sitting in both Belfast and Dublin for 11 months, Mr Justice Morgan decided four of the five men sued were culpable.

He dismissed the action against the fifth, Seamus McKenna, of South Armagh.

Mr Justice Morgan took more than 90 minutes to deliver his judgment in which he said he was "satisfied that those involved in the planning, preparation, planting and detonation of the bomb recognised the likelihood of serious injury or death from its detonation but decided to take that risk".

McKevitt, he said, "held, and has always held, a significant leadership role in the Real IRA".

He said he was "undoubtedly responsible for encouraging the campaign of bombing in 1998 which culminated in Omagh".

McKevitt is currently serving a 20-year sentence in the Irish Republic for organising terrorist activities for the Real IRA.

Much of the case was based on evidence obtained by FBI agent David Rupert who infiltrated the Real IRA in the years after the Omagh bombing.

The judge said he was satisfied Liam Campbell was "a member of the (ruling] army council of the real IRA at the time of the Omagh bombing".

Campbell is currently in custody in Northern Ireland awaiting extradition to Lithuania where he is wanted on arms smuggling charges.

Mr Justice Morgan said he was equally satisfied the evidence against Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly was "overwhelming".

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aiden died in the bombing and who shouldered the burden of leading the families' campaign, said the case had "sent out an important message to terrorists and their victims around the world – you now have a way of challenging those who've murdered your loved ones".

He added: "I think it is a tremendous moral victory for the families."

In a direct message to the four dissident republicans, Mr Gallagher said: "You thought you were clever enough to cover up your tracks and get away with this. You didn't figure on people like us standing up and using all the resources of the law."

Stanley McCombe, whose wife Anne died in the bombing, said he was delighted at the judgment. He said: "It is a result we hoped for but didn't expect."

If those awarded damages want to try to collect their awards, they will have to go to the High Court in the Irish Republic where the alleged bombers are resident for its enforcement. Seizure orders on property such as homes and land – one of the men is a farmer – could be made to ensure the money is paid.

Precedent for 7/7/ victims

THE Omagh bomb judgment will open the way for the families of those killed in the 7/7 bombings to sue for damages, according to the lawyer who prosecuted the Real IRA bombers.

Jason McCue said the ruling had set a precedent for other victims of terrorism.

Four bombers died in the July 2005 blasts in London but up to 20 people are believed to have been involved in planning the attacks. Almost four years on, no-one has been convicted.

Mr McCue said the Omagh case would now encourage terrorist victims around the world to seek justice.

"7/7 want to do an action," Mr McCue said outside the High Court in Belfast. "They are going to do it now. They are going to because they've seen the consequences."

The solicitor said he would now go to the courts to ensure the Omagh families received their damages.