Ex-soldier tells An Phoblacht: ‘I didn’t send poppy death threat’

» John Hedges

An Phoblacht Editor

‘My mate had my phone and said them things you’re referring to’

THE EX-SOLDIER being investigated by police in Britain about death threats to Derry-born Sunderland and Ireland soccer star James McClean for not wearing a Royal British Legion poppy has written to An Phoblacht to claim that he did not send the menacing tweets we have reported on.

“My mate had my phone and said them things you’re referring to,” Manchester doorman Cody Lachey pleads in his e-mail to An Phoblacht. “I would never ever issue death threats. That’s disgusting.”

The Irish Sun newspaper had asked New Scotland Yard to investigate Lachey and threats to the Ireland footballer.

The “proud ex British Army soldier” did say that he thinks James McClean is “a disgrace . . . should be banned from playing, fined, made to apologise and then be deported back to Ireland”.

Back to Derry?

❏ The Hope Not Hate anti-racist campaign organisation in Britain reported on Saturday that the far-Right street hooligans of the English Defence League in the north-east of England held a social at the Royal British Legion ex-services club in Sunderland.