Widow demands justice for soldier
‘MAFIA’ BADGER OUTRAGE ‘Army fail tragic Bernard TWICE’
A GRAN who exposed an attack by hunting dogs holds a dead badger which she fears was dumped at her home to warn her off.
The bloodied creature was in a flower bed in an apparent mafia-style warning to animal rights campaigner Margaret Langham and her husband Joe.
Margaret, 68, told the Sunday Mirror last week how she saw hunt dogs from the Waveney Harriers savage a deer.
She said: “The badger can only have been put there deliberately to scare us off. They know it will upset me because they know I love animals.
“It is upsetting and intimidating, especially when you are out and about in the countryside. You wonder whether they might intimidate you in other ways.
“But it makes us more determined to campaign. It is horrible but we are more resolved to carry on.”
Margaret, from Geldeston, Suffolk, spoke as police investigated a second incident in which a fallow deer was reportedly chased by hunt dogs and killed on the A143 near Bungay.
Horrified comedian Ricky Gervais, 58, saw footage of the first attack and said it has “no place in a civilised world”.
Waveney Harriers claimed the deer survived and blamed hunt saboteurs for distracting dogs on what had started as a legal “trail” hunt.
THE widow of a soldier who lay dead in his room for three weeks has accused the Army of TWICE denying her husband justice.
Before his body was found on the Army base in January, L Cpl Bernard Mongan had been the victim of an alleged racist assault by seven soldiers – but despite a probe identifying suspects, none were charged.
Beth, 30, mum of his three daughters, said: “Bernie has been failed by the Army twice. He deserves justice. He was a victim of a hate crime yet the Army has failed to do anything.”
The soldier was allegedly attacked in a club by the gang of soldiers in November 2018 after he asked them to stop hassling a woman.
English-born L Cpl Mongan, an Iraq War veteran, was raised in Ireland. He was allegedly abused as a “Taig ” and “terrorist” as the group kicked him repeatedly in the head.
Police later told his wife that the attack was “sectarian”. All seven were said to be on a course at Catterick
Garrison, where L Cpl Mongan was found dead on January 23. Police believe he had died around New Year.
A Royal Military Police officer saw the attack and is said to have given identifying details to investigators.
Shadow Defence Secretary Nia Griffiths said: “The MoD must conduct a full investigation.”
The MoD said police and Army probes into the death were continuing, adding: “L Cpl Mongan was the victim of an assault in November 2018 which is unrelated to bullying. This was reported to the RMP and the investigation remains ongoing.”