GARDAI STEP UP HOAX HUNT
Gardai step up hoax hunt
By Seamus McKinney
GARDAI in County Donegal have drafted in extra help in their efforts to track down a cruel hoax caller who has been contacting the families of two of child victims of the Omagh bombing.
It emerged at the weekend that the Buncrana parents of Oran Doherty and Sean McLaughlin had received a number of telephone calls from a male caller asking for the dead children by name before hanging up.
Oran and Sean were killed along with James Barker, also from Buncrana, when they travelled to Omagh with a party of Spanish visitors to County Donegal. Two Spaniards were also killed in the devastating explosion.
While gardai investigating the calls refused to divulge details of the investigation, it is understood that up to eight calls were made in the past week by a man disguising his voice.
The telephone hoaxer caused outrage throughout Ireland, leading Buncrana parish priest Fr Joseph Carolan to describe the calls as the "work of the devil."
Fr Carolan said the man responsible for the malicious calls was "not just mentally sick but spiritually sick." He branded the telephone messages as "evil and satanic." John McLaughlin, the father of murdered Buncrana youngster, Sean, said his family genuinely believed the caller did not realise his son was dead when they received the first call.
It was not until he hung up and the family heard the Doherty family had taken similar calls that Mr McLaughlin realised his family were the victims of a cruel hoax.
While gardai would only confirm investigations were continuing yesterday, it is understood the force is making every effort to stop the caller from causing further distress.
By Seamus McKinney
GARDAI in County Donegal have drafted in extra help in their efforts to track down a cruel hoax caller who has been contacting the families of two of child victims of the Omagh bombing.
It emerged at the weekend that the Buncrana parents of Oran Doherty and Sean McLaughlin had received a number of telephone calls from a male caller asking for the dead children by name before hanging up.
Oran and Sean were killed along with James Barker, also from Buncrana, when they travelled to Omagh with a party of Spanish visitors to County Donegal. Two Spaniards were also killed in the devastating explosion.
While gardai investigating the calls refused to divulge details of the investigation, it is understood that up to eight calls were made in the past week by a man disguising his voice.
The telephone hoaxer caused outrage throughout Ireland, leading Buncrana parish priest Fr Joseph Carolan to describe the calls as the "work of the devil."
Fr Carolan said the man responsible for the malicious calls was "not just mentally sick but spiritually sick." He branded the telephone messages as "evil and satanic." John McLaughlin, the father of murdered Buncrana youngster, Sean, said his family genuinely believed the caller did not realise his son was dead when they received the first call.
It was not until he hung up and the family heard the Doherty family had taken similar calls that Mr McLaughlin realised his family were the victims of a cruel hoax.
While gardai would only confirm investigations were continuing yesterday, it is understood the force is making every effort to stop the caller from causing further distress.
Further Information
Publisher: THE IRISH NEWS
Ref: IN/0221
Published Date: 03-Sep-98
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