Omagh bomb: fourth man pursued for damages declared bankrupt

The 1998 Real IRA attack killed 29 people including a mother nine months pregnant with twins. Over 200 people were injured.

A spokesman for the Belfast High Court confirmed that Seamus Daly was adjudged bankrupt by the High Court on Friday.

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was one of those killed in the bombing attack, welcomed the news.

“Seamus Daly, was ordered bankrupt today and this marks another milestone in our pursuit of justice for our loved ones,” he said.

“It’s now for the Irish and Northern Ireland authorities to pursue all means to access those assets that we believe these four men have tried to conceal.

“The importance of this should not be lost on those who continue to use and threaten violence to advance their own selfish and flawed agenda, including the killers of Lyra McKee and others.

“The message is that our society will continue to pursue them until justice is done and they will not be allowed to blight our future. That is why this is so important and we will not rest.”

As part of the same legal action, in March three others were declared bankrupt by the courts in Dublin for failing to pay £1.6m in damages to the victims of the bombing.

The High Court ruling in Dublin was the first time in the world that anyone has been declared bankrupt for refusing to compensate victims of terrorism.

The three were Michael McKevitt, Liam Campbell and Colm Murphy. They have also been ordered to pay the hundreds of thousands of euros in costs for the bomb victims, The Times reported.

The case was then due to be transferred to the Republic’s bankruptcy assignee, who was expected to liquidate the assets of the three men and transfer the money to the Omagh families.

A court in Belfast had previously found the four men liable for the bomb attack.