Omagh coroner rejects evidence call

Inquest is being held in town's leisure centre

Omagh Inquest: Day 3

The coroner at the Omagh bomb inquest has ruled against calling the chairman of a hardline republican lobby group to give evidence.

Relatives of some of the 29 people killed in the bombing of the County Tyrone town by the Real IRA on 15 August 1998, had asked the coroner to call 32 County Sovereignty Committee chairman Francis Mackey to the hearing.

The lobby group has been linked to the dissident republican Real IRA, but denies any link.

Some relatives had called for Francis Mackey to appear at inquest

Coroner John Leckey said he had carefully considered the application, but that the claim that Mr Mackey was ''inextricably linked to the Real IRA was speculation without any evidential basis''.

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan died in the explosion made the application to have Mr Mackey called to the inquest.

Mr Leckey said: "This is speculation. Without an evidential basis there is nothing before me which leads me to conclude that Mr Mackey needs to be called to give evidence."

Mr Gallagher had also made an application to call Colm Murphy, the only man charged in connection with the bombing, to the hearing.

Mr Leckey said that Mr Murphy and Mr Mackey were told they could attend the inquest and "give evidence on their own behalf and to hear what may be said against them at the inquest".

Reacting to the decision, Mr Gallagher said he did not understand it. But he added that he hoped there would be other forums were witnesses could be called.

Photographs of Omagh dead

On the third day, the inquest saw photographic evidence from the aftermath of the bomb.

The families of victims were warned that some of the images may be distressing and many left Omagh leisure centre, where the inquest is being held.

The pictures showed row of bodies of the victims which had initially been placed in two shops off Market Street in the town where the bomb exploded.

One series of pictures, taken by an RUC photographer, showed five or six bodies set out between racks of clothes inside Moira's boutique, on Market Street.

Another had about 12 bodies laid out in rows of three or four in the covered entrance to Market Street Arcade.

All were covered separately, some in bloodsoaked white sheeting, others in tarpaulins and a number in curtain fabric.

The inquest also heard more recordings of details of the bomb being relayed to a police control room.

On one recording the sound of the explosion was heard. An officer was heard saying: "This has exploded. We need help at the bottom of the town."

The coroner also announced that a tour of the scene of the bomb in Market Street, had been arranged for Tuesday.

It is to be held so that the possible escape routes from the bomb site can be examined.

Amateur video: Some relatives left during screening

It was the second day the bereaved had been exposed to material showing the horrifying immediate aftermath of the blast.

On Thursday the hearing saw three amateur videos taken in the moments after the explosion, showing the bodies of the dead and wounded amid the rubble.

Some families left the centre. Others watched the scenes in a private room provided.

Mr Leckey said he felt it was important that the videos were shown "to illustrate the full extent of the carnage and devastation caused by the bomb".

Unlike inquests in England and Wales, coroner's courts in Northern Ireland do not reach verdicts apportioning blame, but instead make "findings", confined solely to the facts surrounding violent, sudden or unexplained death.