McKevitt ‘responsible’ for Omagh
Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt was responsible for the 1998 Omagh bomb, a judge has found.
Mr Justice Morgan made the ruling after a landmark civil case brought by some of the families of the victims of the atrocity.
Three others – Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy, and Seamus Daly – were also found liable for the attack. Seamus McKenna was cleared of responsibility.
Twenty-nine people and unborn twins died in the August 1998 bomb.
Civil cases have a much lower burden of proof, with the judge reaching his verdict on the balance of probabilities. In criminal law, guilt must be proved beyond reasonable doubt.
In an unprecedented step, the hearing was relocated from Belfast to the Supreme Court in Dublin in May so that evidence could be heard from Irish police officers.
It was the first time a judge from Northern Ireland had travelled to the Republic of Ireland on official business.
The case was also the first time that the British government had helped to fund a civil action.
In 2003 it contributed £800,000 towards the £1.5m needed to launch the action.
In 2008 two of the respondents lodged an appeal against exceptional legal aid being granted to the victims’ families.
They said a public pledge of financial assistance to the families ahead of any legal authorisation was predetermining the outcome of the legal process.
But the Court of Appeal ruled it could not be assumed the government had abandoned its fair and independent judgement.
