‘The whole place is lawless, I’ve never felt such fear here before’... Aughnacloy residents speak out as village holds vigil for 83-year-old raid victim left fighting for life
PEOPLE in Aughnacloy are trying not to panic — but two days after 83-yearold widow Pat Davidson plummeted from an upstairs window as a gang ransacked her Co Tyrone home, for many, staying calm is getting harder.
That’s because the break-in that’s shocked Northern Ireland this week hasn’t come as such a shock in Aughnacloy.
According to the people of the town, it’s just the latest in a recent spate.
The police have already linked Tuesday night’s raid to three others in the area, and locals say the problem’s been going on for years.
Things have ratcheted up a notch since before Christmas though, they say — and at the heart of the problems lies the fact these criminals have no fear of the police.
The local station is only open a couple of hours a week, and police have to travel from Dungannon when called out by the public — a drive which takes around 20 minutes.
Yesterday evening around 200 people attended a candlelit vigil outside Mrs Davidson’s home on Sydney Street.
Among them was the Rev Glen Wells from St James’ Church of Ireland.
“Everyone’s talking about how awful this is but there’s also anger,” he said after the gathering.
“Although the police are pursuing this now I’m not reassured.
“They’re under presure and next week they’ll be under pressure for something else. There’s a strong feeling in Aughnacloy that there isn’t enough community policing which gives criminals a free pass.”
Mother-of-four Lorraine Allen runs the Diamond tea room on Moore Street — and said earlier that after the news this week, she’s moving her elderly uncle into her home.
“He’s 81 and he’s not too good,” she said. “We don’t want him vulnerable to this sort of thing, and even if it didn’t happen, it’s that fear. We can’t have him living like that.”
The events of Tuesday night have had a huge impact on her children too.
“We live on a farm, and my kids, who go from five up to 18, are starting to ask me to lock the door the minute we get in the door. It’s horrendous because we never used to worry about things like that, you shouldn’t have to.
“On Wednesday night I went round checking all the doors and windows — I’ve never felt that level of fear living here before.”
A garage owner in the town, who asked not to be named, said he’d been broken into five times in as many years — twice at his business and three times at home.
“They are absolutely fearless,” he said. “They know nothing will be done to them. In all those burglaries at my house and my work,
I haven’t heard of a single person being lifted. When I reported one of the break-ins the police told me I’d have to wait four or five hours. You never see a policeman in the town, I don’t think the station is ever open. The whole place is lawless.”
The father-of-three said he and his wife now feared going home at night, afraid of what they’d find.
“On one occasion they beat my dog, a black Labrador who would just have been trying to do his job, to defend the house.
“On another, they climbed on the roof in the middle of the day and disarmed my alarm.
“They rooted through our bedroom, so much my wife doesn’t know which of our clothes they’ve touched and what they haven’t. They didn’t even get much, they’re just not one bit afraid. To think they broke in to this lady’s house at 9pm shows they’re brazen and they’re getting braver.”
John Cuddy (50), whose elderly mother lives alone, said anger was building in the community.
“My mother is 78, and I always check on her but now the poor thing, like all the other people living alone in the town, is afraid,” he said.
“What are they supposed to think? You’d think this lady, at the age of 83, would be left alone to live her life in peace. But for these animals to break in to her home and terrorise her, well it’s unthinkable.
“These people have to know we’ll protect our own here. And it’s not just the elderly. I spoke to a single mother who’s terrified to be at home on her own. She said to me, ‘If four men break into my house in the middle of the night, what chance do have against them?’ And she’s right. What could she do?”
Austin McCusker, owner of Mary Ann’s bar, said the town was shaken. “It’s just awful that this has happened,” he said.
“But I’d almost say I’m not surprised. It’s the world we’re living in, and this place is so close to the border, it’s such a busy thoroughfare that people are skiting back and forth so much you don’t know who’s coming in and out. People are worried.”
And as they gather on street corners and huddle together in the border town’s cafes and bars, rumours and speculation are growing — local people spying on their neighbours and feeding information to criminal gangs; professional thugs prowling the border for vulnerable targets; the influx of foreigners or travellers could be to blame. They know, they say, that all these things are just theories. But what’s clear is that they’re shaken — and they’re desperate for reassurance.
Mrs Davidson’s minister Rev Ian McKee said it was up to the police to make people in the town feel safe. “I understand there’s a heightened sense of anxiety in the area,” he said.
“And I know people are concerned for relatives, especially people living on their own. I certainly don’t want to add to that anxiety, but I cannot honestly, hand on heart tell them there isn’t reason for concern.
“That’s up to the police and other agencies, to reassure them by actions on the ground.”
At the vigil last night, the local community sent a message to Mrs Davidson that the whole town was behind her,
But they wanted to send a message too to the thugs who terrorised her — and to the police. “We need these gangs to stay away,” said Lorraine Allen. “We need to the police to get them and put them away. We can’t let the police and the authorities leave us forgotten away out here in the countryside. People can’t live like this, afraid and on their nerves.
“We need to see the police on our streets — and we need the criminals to see them too. At the minute, it’s lawless, they have the run of the place.
“In the last few weeks, we’ve had people robbed while they’ve slept in their beds.
“We’ve had people’s animals attacked and their homes ransacked. It shouldn’t have taken an 83-year-old woman going through a trauma like this to get us the help we need.”
Passing on a message from the family, Rev McKee added: “Mrs Davidson’s family want to thank the community for their prayers, and the immediate neighbours for coming to her aid. It means a lot.”
Superintendent Mike Baird, District Commander for Mid Ulster, said he fully understands the concerns of the residents of Aughnacloy.
“I can assure the community that tackling burglaries is a major priority for the officers of this district,” he said.
“Mid Ulster District does however have one of the lowest burglary crime rates in the province; this does not mean that we are complacent and residents living in the district, particularly in rural areas, can expect to see additional officers out on patrol.
“We will also be out and about speaking to residents and business owners.
“We enjoy a very good working relationship with our local councillors, community representatives, partner agencies and members of the community, attending local meetings where residents’ concerns can be brought to our attention.
“We also have a local Crime Prevention Officer who is available to call out and give advice and reassurance on how you can put measures in place to make your home or business more secure.”
He also urged the community to look out for each other, and report any suspicious activity, “no matter how trivial you may think it is”.
Superintendent Baird concluded: “We as a police service will do everything in our power to tackle crime in our district, however, we also need the help of you, the community, to ensure that burglars do not get away with their crimes.
“Keep a watchful eye on your neighbours, especially if they are elderly.
“Report any suspicious activity, no matter how trivial you may think it is, to police on the non-emergency number 101. If it is an emergency always ring ‘999’. If you want to remain anonymous you can call Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.”
❝ We need to see police on our streets ... at the minute, it’s lawless, they have the run of the place