Murdered by the Real IRA: James Barker
A LAWYER representing the families of the Omagh bomb massacre victims has described the outrage as the slaughter of innocents.
He was speaking as two men were found culpable in a civil case brought by relatives.
Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly were successfully sued for a second time in the civil retrial after a judge said the evidence against them was overwhelming.
Three schoolboys from Co Donegal were among those killed when Real IRA terrorists planted a bomb in the centre of the Tyrone town in August 1998.
Buncrana children Oran Doherty, who was just 8 and Sean McLaughlin (12) and James Barker (12) died in the terrorist outrage.
Spanish student Fernando Blasco Baselga (12) and Rocio Abad Ramos, a group leader who were staying with local families in Buncrana at the time, also died.
Solicitor for the families Matthew Jury said the Omagh bombers had not furthered any cause.
“It was a massacre of the innocent that left a scar on families, their community and their country that has not healed,” he said.
“By bringing this civil action, their victims showed that they will not be intimidated and that justice will be done.”
In his judgement, Mr Justice Gillen said the case against them, which was primarily based on mobile phone evidence, was “overwhelming”.
He added: “The barrier of time has not served to disguise the enormity of this crime, the wickedness of its perpetrators and the grief of those who must bear its consequences,” he said.
“Even 15 years on, nothing can dilute the pulsing horror of what happened.”
Lord Brennan QC, representing the families, said the bereaved relatives were determined that the damages would be paid.
“Enforcement will be pursued with vigour here and in other relevant jurisdiction,” he said.
Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was killed in the bombing, called on Gardai and the PSNI to once again pursue criminal proceedings against the men.
He said: “We have held people to account for Omagh but we will now write to the chief constable and the Garda Commissioner to see if there is any way people could be brought before the criminal courts.
“That’s really what we wanted in the first place and sadly it was left up to the families to get a result and to hold people to account for this crime.”
He said it was “scandalous” that so much money, estimated to be “tens of millions” had been spent to bring justice in the case.