Relatives take issue with graphic testimony

Relatives of those killed in the Omagh blast have complained about the way in which graphic testimony about the injuries of their…

Relatives of those killed in the Omagh blast have complained about the way in which graphic testimony about the injuries of their loved ones has been read at the inquest.

Depositions from police officers on the scene immediately after the bombing have been read out recently. In some cases these included the most graphic descriptions of injuries.

After the inquest rose yesterday, Mr Stanley McCombe, whose wife Ann was killed in the bomb, said: "A lot of the families are very concerned as to the statements and the way the legal profession were questioning the witnesses on their statements."

He said they felt lawyers were taking an excessive amount out of the statements, "especially the graphic details of the injuries to those who died on the street".

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Many families "felt they could have just said multiple injuries rather than the gory details that were drawn out of them by the legal profession," he said.

Mr Michael Gallagher, father of Adrian (21), agreed and wondered how much more of such testimony he could stand.

Mr McCombe said that while some people wanted to know where their loved ones had been when they died, "I don't think that helps". He had seen photos of bodies in alleys and shops and felt he could never go to those places again.

The two men also spoke about a bomb alert in the town, which has had more than 50 hoaxes in the two years since the explosion. The town centre was closed yesterday afternoon after a call giving the same code word as that given on the day of the blast.

"We don't know at this stage whether it is the work of pranksters or the genuine thing," Mr Gallagher said. It was difficult for members of families who had other family members in town, their immediate concern was with them, he said.