Victims take ‘no glee’ in death of Real IRA leader Michael McKevitt

His death was announced last night, following a battle with cancer.

McKevitt, who was one of four men found liable for the Omagh bomb, had been diagnosed with terminal cancer a number of years ago.

He was released from after serving a sentence for directing terrorism and membership of an illegal organisation.

The 71-year-old was married to Bernadette Sands McKevitt, a sister of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands.

From Co Louth, McKevitt always denied being involved in the 1998 Omagh bombing, but in 2009 a judge ruled in a landmark civil trial that McKevitt, Liam Campbell, Colm Murphy and Seamus Daly were all liable for the bomb.

He ordered them to pay a total of £1.6 million damages to 12 relatives who took the case.

Kenny Donaldson, spokesman for Innocent Victims United, said: “Our concern now is with the innocents of Omagh who were murdered as a consequence of the actions of this convicted terrorist and his ‘comrades’ and all others who he was directly or indirectly responsible for murdering or maiming over a long career of terrorism involvement.

“When a terrorist dies a wave of emotions are experienced by those who were impacted by their criminal actions.

“Do we take glee in his death? No we don’t because to do so would make us subhuman like the manner in which he chose to live his life.

“Michael McKevitt was able to avail of the very best of medical care prior to his passing, just as was the case with Bobby Storey.

“This stands in stark contrast to so many innocents slaughtered by the terror groups for which they each held leadership positions with - no level of medical treatment could save the lives of many who were either shot, bombed or otherwise attacked by terrorists.

“Such individual fundamental right to life was stolen away from them.”

UUP justice spokesperson Doug Beattie said Michael McKevitt’s contribution had been “the misery of others”. He said: “Michael McKevitt wasted his life in pursuit of terrorism and violence. His only contribution on this earth was the misery of others as a result of the path he chose. My thoughts are with the victims created by McKevitt and the families of those victims who had no say in their fate.”

TUV leader Jim Allister said: “The death of McKevitt should cause us all to think primarily of the victims and survivors of the mass murder in Omagh and of the failure of our criminal justice system to bring to justice in this life its perpetrators. The legacy of Provo trained McKevitt is one of ignominy and destruction. Any who would glorify his actions is imbued with the same spirit of inhumanity.”