Man found liable for Omagh bombing dies

THE first person to receive a conviction in connection with the 1998 Omagh bomb has died.

Colm Murphy, of Ravensdale, co Louth, later had his criminal conviction overturned on appeal.

Mr Murphy died at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda this week, surrounded by his family. He was 70-years-old.

In January 2002, Mr Murphy was convicted of conspiring to cause the Omagh bombing and was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment. The judge described him as a ‘long-time republican extremist’.

But three years later, his criminal conviction was overturned and a new trial ordered. Following a retrial held in January 2010, the Armagh native was acquitted a month later.

Meanwhile, in a separate civil case taken by several families of the victims, Mr Murphy was one of four men found by a civil court in 2009 to be liable for the Omagh bombing.

However, in July 2011, in Belfast High Court, a retrial of the civil claims against Murphy was ordered. Following a civil retrial, on March 20, 2013, Murphy was found liable for involvement in the bombing.