IRISHMAN’S BODY FOUND IN FRANCE
Dad, 28, disappeared after claiming he saw gun attack on train
I am so thankful he’s been found. It’s brought an end to the nightmare CLARE DIXON
DUBLIN
PAUL’S MUM YESTERDAY
THE remains of an Irishman who vanished after he claimed to have witnessed a shooting have been found in France.
Mystery surrounded Paul Shinedixon’s disappearance nine years ago, but his family can finally bring the dad-of-three home.
The last time they heard from him was a frantic phone call to his pregnant partner Sinead on May 2, 2009, insisting he had just watched a gun attack on a train travelling through France to Spain.
Paul, from Finglas, North Dublin, disembarked in Perpignan but he was supposed to stay on board until Barcelona.
Police found the 28-year-old in a distressed state at the station and took him to a medical unit.
A day later he discharged himself He was last seen in south of France
PERPIGNAN
and was never seen again. Paul’s grief-stricken mum Clare praised forensics for helping in the search.
She told the Irish Mirror last night: “I am so thankful he was found. They took our DNA and matched it up with what they had in France.
“Thank God for science. I am so grateful for it. It’s brought an end to the nightmare and I am so glad he has finally been found.
“They actually found his body in December but they had to do the forensics then and we were told earlier this month.
“We can’t have a funeral until the body is released.
Then we will be able to organise it. We are just waiting for that. As soon as his body is released, my daughter Clare will go out to France and accompany the coffin home. We will finally be able to take him home.
“He didn’t get to see his children grow up – Katie, 18, Georgia, 13, and eight-year-old Tori. And he was very close to his two sisters.”
As regards the shooting Paul claimed he saw, Clare said: “I did ask about getting that investigated, but they told me there wasn’t any report of a shooting.” And addressing reports his body was found buried and police are treating it as suspicious, Clare added: “I felt something bad had happened to him, but we haven’t been told anything yet. We have no more information.”
Paul’s daughter Katie Dixon paid tribute to her dad on Facebook.
She said: “Finally after nine years of a nightmare that we thought we would never wake up from, my family has got closure for my Da.
“I am heartbroken all over again, but I’m so happy we get to bring him home. Thanks to everyone who has supported us over the last nine years, we are forever thankful.
“Sleep tight Daddy. We love and miss you forever.”
Finglas councillor Noeleen Reilly, said: “Nine years of not knowing must have been awful for the children. To get this news must be devastating.
“It’s just an awful tragedy. My sincere condolences to the family.”