A memorial plaque for an off-duty RUC officer from Donegal has been reported stolen – just over a week after it was first unveiled.
The family of John Doherty last week laid a bespoke plaque and poppy wreath on his family plot at Castlefinn graveyard. This week, however, the memorials have disappeared.
Detective Constable Doherty was 31 years old when he was shot by the IRA on October 28, 1973. He had been visiting his widowed mother in Ballindrait, who lived just 5 minutes from border. He was gunned down at the entrance to his mother’s home and his girlfriend was also seriously injured in the attack, but survived. Nobody was convicted of the murder.
A service was held on Saturday 28th October last to mark the 50th anniversary of Detective Constable Doherty’s death.
BBC Radio Foyle reports of the family’s disappointment at the recent disappearance of the new plaque and wreath.
His brother Terry Doherty told BBC Radio Foyle’s The North West Today programme that he believed the pieces were taken because John was a member of the RUC.
He said that the stone will not be replaced, as the relatives don’t want to give the criminals the chance to steal again.
“I won’t give them the opportunity or the satisfaction,” Mr Doherty said.
“John will always be remembered for who he was and for what he represented.”
Listen to BBC Radio Foyle’s The North West Today programme here.
