OMAGH BOMB DAD'S PLEA
OMAGH BOMB DAD'S PLEA
By PAULINE REYNOLDS
Father begs missing son: 'Please come home'
THE anguished husband of an Omagh bomb victim has made an impassioned New Year's plea to his missing son: "Please phone home. Your daddy and sisters miss you." Kevin Skelton hasn't seen his son, Raymond, for seven weeks and fears the 20-year-old may be sleeping rough on the streets of London. Kevin told Sunday Life: "I go to bed every night and lie wondering where Raymond is - is he warm enough and has he got a place to sleep and a bite to eat?
"I think to myself that he might be lying out on the streets somewhere. Not knowing is the worst thing."
Kevin is convinced that his son is alive and believes he might be living in London, but has no idea where. It's been a particularly empty Christmas for the past three years, since Philomena Skelton was killed in the 1998 Omagh atrocity.
The last thing the family needs now is another painful emotional void in their lives.
Recently, they received an unsigned card which simply stated: "To Kevin and family. Thinking of u all. Happy Christmas."
To the Skeltons, the poignant message spoke volumes.
Said Kevin: "I knew Raymond's writing immediately. It gave us the first bit of hope that he's out there and alive.
"It helped - I only wish he had put an address in with the card."
Christmas was lonely without his only son, although the dad-of-four has made a happy home for himself and his children at Drumquin, outside Omagh. There were no rows before Raymond left and the family is baffled as to why he disappeared.
He even missed his 20th birthday - December 8.
Added Kevin: "I had no inkling anything was wrong - there wasn't a cross word between us.
"He did miss his mummy and that might have been part of it, but we would never stop him going anywhere, as long as we knew he was safe.
"He had been talking about going to Dublin and I could have got him a job, but he vanished before I could do anything."
Raymond was last seen by his dad on the morning of Monday, November 5 in Omagh. He said he would be home later that evening, but never returned. The family heard he might be in the Old Marylebone Road area of central London.
In desperation, Kevin wrote to him - with only a vague address - asking his son to please get in touch, but there was no reply.
His dad even thought of going over to London to try and find him.
Explained Kevin: "It would probably be a waste of time - like looking for a needle in a haystack.
"I was really hoping he would come home for Christmas, but, as it got near the time, I knew rightly he wouldn't be here.
"If he doesn't want to talk to me directly, he can leave a message on my mother's answering machine.
"All I want for the New Year is to hear him say: 'Daddy, don't worry. I'm all right.'
"He's a good lad and we really want to hear that he's safe and well. We're frantic with worry."
By PAULINE REYNOLDS
Father begs missing son: 'Please come home'
THE anguished husband of an Omagh bomb victim has made an impassioned New Year's plea to his missing son: "Please phone home. Your daddy and sisters miss you." Kevin Skelton hasn't seen his son, Raymond, for seven weeks and fears the 20-year-old may be sleeping rough on the streets of London. Kevin told Sunday Life: "I go to bed every night and lie wondering where Raymond is - is he warm enough and has he got a place to sleep and a bite to eat?
"I think to myself that he might be lying out on the streets somewhere. Not knowing is the worst thing."
Kevin is convinced that his son is alive and believes he might be living in London, but has no idea where. It's been a particularly empty Christmas for the past three years, since Philomena Skelton was killed in the 1998 Omagh atrocity.
The last thing the family needs now is another painful emotional void in their lives.
Recently, they received an unsigned card which simply stated: "To Kevin and family. Thinking of u all. Happy Christmas."
To the Skeltons, the poignant message spoke volumes.
Said Kevin: "I knew Raymond's writing immediately. It gave us the first bit of hope that he's out there and alive.
"It helped - I only wish he had put an address in with the card."
Christmas was lonely without his only son, although the dad-of-four has made a happy home for himself and his children at Drumquin, outside Omagh. There were no rows before Raymond left and the family is baffled as to why he disappeared.
He even missed his 20th birthday - December 8.
Added Kevin: "I had no inkling anything was wrong - there wasn't a cross word between us.
"He did miss his mummy and that might have been part of it, but we would never stop him going anywhere, as long as we knew he was safe.
"He had been talking about going to Dublin and I could have got him a job, but he vanished before I could do anything."
Raymond was last seen by his dad on the morning of Monday, November 5 in Omagh. He said he would be home later that evening, but never returned. The family heard he might be in the Old Marylebone Road area of central London.
In desperation, Kevin wrote to him - with only a vague address - asking his son to please get in touch, but there was no reply.
His dad even thought of going over to London to try and find him.
Explained Kevin: "It would probably be a waste of time - like looking for a needle in a haystack.
"I was really hoping he would come home for Christmas, but, as it got near the time, I knew rightly he wouldn't be here.
"If he doesn't want to talk to me directly, he can leave a message on my mother's answering machine.
"All I want for the New Year is to hear him say: 'Daddy, don't worry. I'm all right.'
"He's a good lad and we really want to hear that he's safe and well. We're frantic with worry."
Further Information
Publisher: SUNDAY LIFE
Ref: SL/122
Published Date: 30-Dec-01
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