Sister of Omagh bomb victim says officer's pre-recorded video evidence a 'farce'

The Omagh bomb inquiry has heard pre-recorded video evidence from a senior Irish police officer about the stolen car used to transport the bomb which killed 29 people including a woman pregnant with unborn twins.

Det Supt Emmett Casserly of An Garda Síochána (Irish police) was questioned by the inquiry team on 1 September in Dublin.

The Irish government had to change the law to enable him to give evidence.

However Claire Hayes, whose brother Alan Radford was killed in the 1998 Real IRA attack, described the Irish government's cooperation in the inquiry as "a farce".

"They said they would leave no stone unturned, and what we have heard today has been a reiteration of facts that we already know," she said.

The counsel to the inquiry acknowledged that the form of evidence - the garda's pre-recorded interview - had "limitations".

Earlier this week the inquiry heard the car was "stolen to order" as part of the bomb plot.

In the pre-recorded interview played on Thursday, which lasted just over an hour, Paul Greaney KC took Casserly through the evidence held by Gardaí about the bomb car.

The evidence from the time of the bombing amounted to 107 boxes.

Casserly disclosed that on the night the maroon coloured Vauxhall Cavalier used in the bombing was stolen in Carrickmacross, County Monaghan, three other attempts were made to steal similar vehicles in the town.

This took place in the early morning of 13 August.

The garda described Carrickmacross as a busy market town with "traffic going through it at all times of the days and night".

And he said the street it was stolen from "wouldn't have been known for anything other than being a quiet residential area".

The theft of the car was reported to the RUC the following day and added to a list of stolen and located vehicles within the Republic of Ireland.

Gardaí did not carry out any investigations at the scene of the car theft until August 18, three days after the bombing, which did not yield any evidence.

After the bombing an appeal by the force for evidence brought forward three potential witnesses to the car's movements.

A garda officer saw the vehicle in Carrickmacross and said there were two occupants.

He also provided a detailed description of the driver of the car.

Another witness claimed to have seen the car in a car park in Crossmaglen at 10:45 BST on the morning of 13 Aug.

She noticed the Donegal registration plate and vehicle and thought it was "unusual in Crossmaglen".

An hour later a maroon car matching the description was spotted close to Castlebellingham 16 miles from Dundalk in County Louth.

Following the playout of the detective's interview, Mr Greaney KC said the method of gathering the evidence had "limitations".

"It was not the full dynamic process of questioning and pressing of witnesses."

He also said that further questions for Gardaí had arisen.

"We do fully intend to utilise the procedure to seek answers from the Republic of Ireland to the outstanding questions which undoubtedly do exist."

Garda officers and others state witnesses were previously unable to speak to the inquiry due to concerns around national security.

In June the Irish government brought in new legislation that allowed agreed questions to be put to the Gardaí and other state witnesses in an Irish court in front of a judge with the answers recorded for the inquiry.

Earlier this week counsel to the inquiry said the Irish government had co-operated with the inquiry and had disclosed substantial amounts of documentation which forms a significant part of the work of the current phase of the inquiry.

Further evidence will be heard at a later stage in the inquiry.

Claire Hayes, who lost her brother in the blast, said the pre-recorded interview prevented families and the legal teams of victims from putting their questions to the detective and wider Gardaí.

"That shows the level of input they are willing to put into our inquiry," she said.

She further said evidence given on Thursday merely reiterated the facts she and other families have known for the past 28 years.

"The knowledge we have heard for the past couple of days... has been from south of the border.

"There is a lot more that lies from south of the border than what we're getting at the moment."

Hayes added that she felt let down by a promise that "families would be at the centre" of the inquiry.

"We feel very much like the families are not at the centre of this inquiry whatsoever."

The Omagh bomb exploded on 15 August 1998, killing 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins.

More than 200 people were injured in the blast.

No-one has ever been convicted of the atrocity.

Three days after the attack, the Real IRA released a statement claiming responsibility for the explosion.

It apologised to "civilian" victims and said its targets had been commercial.

No-one has been convicted of carrying out the murders by a criminal court.

In 2009, Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly were all ordered to pay a total of £1.6m in damages to the relatives, but appeals against the ruling delayed the compensation process.