Omagh trial verdict put back until Tuesday

A verdict in the case of Colm Murphy, the only man charged in connection with the Omagh bombing, will not be delivered until Tuesday at the earliest, it was announced today.

The three judges in the Special Criminal Court, chaired by Mr Justice Robert Barr, retired on Monday saying a verdict against 49-year-old Murphy was expected ‘‘not before Friday’’.

But a spokesman for the Courts Service confirmed today that there would now be no decision until at least Tuesday at 2pm.

Publican Murphy, from Jordan's Corner, Ravensdale, Dundalk, Co Louth, denies conspiracy to cause an explosion within the state or elsewhere between August 13 and 16, 1998, likely to cause loss of life or serious injury to property.

His trial, which lasted 25 days before the judges retired, has heard that he loaned two mobile phones to Real IRA terrorists plotting the attack on the Co Tyrone market town.

A woman pregnant with twins was among 29 people who died in the explosion on August 15, 1998. More than 200 others were injured.