McKevitt wins battle for free legal aid

One of the five people facing a civil action by relatives of the Omagh bombing victims has won his battle for full legal aid in defending the case.

Michael McKevitt and four others are being sued by the relatives in a multi-million pound court action due to begin next month.

McKevitt (aged 58), from Blackrock, Co Louth, and four others - Seamus Daly, Seamus McKenna, Liam Campbell and Colm Murphy - are being sued for £14m (€18.2m) by the Omagh families.

He is currently serving a 20-year jail sentence for directing the Real IRA and is awaiting judgement in an appeal against his 2003 conviction.

His Belfast lawyers have said they have been limited in challenging the case and that McKevitt had a right to a fair hearing to clear his name.

They said McKevitt intends participating fully in the hearing but would have refused to do so if he had not been granted full legal aid.