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| Two found liable for Omagh bombing | Two found liable for Omagh bombing |
| (17 days later) | |
| Two Irish republicans have been found liable for the 1998 Omagh bombing in a civil action against the now defunct Real IRA. | Two Irish republicans have been found liable for the 1998 Omagh bombing in a civil action against the now defunct Real IRA. |
| Relatives of the 29 people killed in the explosion brought a civil case against Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly, whom they alleged were key figures in the plot. | Relatives of the 29 people killed in the explosion brought a civil case against Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly, whom they alleged were key figures in the plot. |
| Murphy and Daly were retried after appealing against a 2009 finding of liability in Belfast high court. On Wednesday after their second trial, the same court ruled that they were liable for the atrocity. | Murphy and Daly were retried after appealing against a 2009 finding of liability in Belfast high court. On Wednesday after their second trial, the same court ruled that they were liable for the atrocity. |
| No one was ever prosecuted in the criminal courts for the bombing. In the first civil trial, Murphy, Daly and two others – Michael McKevitt and Liam Campbell – were held responsible and ordered to pay £1.6m in damages. | No one was ever prosecuted in the criminal courts for the bombing. In the first civil trial, Murphy, Daly and two others – Michael McKevitt and Liam Campbell – were held responsible and ordered to pay £1.6m in damages. |
| McKevitt, the Real IRA founder who is serving a 20-year prison sentence in the Irish Republic for directing terrorism, and Campbell, who recently successfully fought extradition proceedings to Lithuania on arms smuggling charges, failed in their attempts to overturn the original ruling. | McKevitt, the Real IRA founder who is serving a 20-year prison sentence in the Irish Republic for directing terrorism, and Campbell, who recently successfully fought extradition proceedings to Lithuania on arms smuggling charges, failed in their attempts to overturn the original ruling. |
| Daly and Murphy's retrial started in January this year and finished last month, when Mr Justice Gillen reserved judgment. The Omagh families alleged that Murphy, a builder and publican from Dundalk, provided two mobile phones to the bombers and that Daly, a bricklayer from Cullaville, used one of the phones during the bomb run between Dundalk and Omagh. | Daly and Murphy's retrial started in January this year and finished last month, when Mr Justice Gillen reserved judgment. The Omagh families alleged that Murphy, a builder and publican from Dundalk, provided two mobile phones to the bombers and that Daly, a bricklayer from Cullaville, used one of the phones during the bomb run between Dundalk and Omagh. |
| Gillen said the case against Daly and Murphy was "overwhelming" and he had drawn a negative inference from their failure to provide any explanation in court. | Gillen said the case against Daly and Murphy was "overwhelming" and he had drawn a negative inference from their failure to provide any explanation in court. |
| "Given the strength and quality of the evidence, I have determined that both defendants were involved in assisting the preparation, planting and detonation of the bomb in circumstances where those involved in assisting those acts would be joint tortfeasors [individuals who committed a wrongful act injuring another person]," the judge said. | "Given the strength and quality of the evidence, I have determined that both defendants were involved in assisting the preparation, planting and detonation of the bomb in circumstances where those involved in assisting those acts would be joint tortfeasors [individuals who committed a wrongful act injuring another person]," the judge said. |
| Neither Murphy nor Daly were in court. Both refused to give evidence throughout the civil trials. | Neither Murphy nor Daly were in court. Both refused to give evidence throughout the civil trials. |
| At the time of the Omagh attack in August 1998 the Real IRA was trying to destabilise the peace process following the signing of the Good Friday agreement that Easter. It declared a ceasefire following the bombing, but the organisation then split and a militant faction eventually became the New IRA. | At the time of the Omagh attack in August 1998 the Real IRA was trying to destabilise the peace process following the signing of the Good Friday agreement that Easter. It declared a ceasefire following the bombing, but the organisation then split and a militant faction eventually became the New IRA. |
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