16 January 1997 Edition
Elderly couple victimised by Branch
Criminal attacks on elderly people living in isolated rural areas have led to calls for more gardai to protect them. But an elderly couple in Donegal were victimised this week by the gardai themselves.
At 10.30am on Monday 13 January the home of 62-year-old Charlie Sweeney and his 60-year-old wife was invaded by nine Garda Special Branch members and four uniformed gardai. The gardai raided and searched the Sweeneys' home at Fawninoughan, The Lagg, Milford, County Donegal.
The raiders claimed they were looking for weapons but the only weapons in the house were those the Special Branch men carried prominently. Charlie Sweeney told An Phoblacht that they ``went through everything'', rummaging among all his books and files. The raiders stayed for an hour and a half and took away Charlie Sweeney's address book which they returned an hour later.
Charlie Sweeney is a native of Donegal and returned to the county with his English-born wife in 1990 after 40 years as an emigrant in England. He said his wife was ``terrorised'' by the raid.
At 10.30am on Monday 13 January the home of 62-year-old Charlie Sweeney and his 60-year-old wife was invaded by nine Garda Special Branch members and four uniformed gardai. The gardai raided and searched the Sweeneys' home at Fawninoughan, The Lagg, Milford, County Donegal.
The raiders claimed they were looking for weapons but the only weapons in the house were those the Special Branch men carried prominently. Charlie Sweeney told An Phoblacht that they ``went through everything'', rummaging among all his books and files. The raiders stayed for an hour and a half and took away Charlie Sweeney's address book which they returned an hour later.
Charlie Sweeney is a native of Donegal and returned to the county with his English-born wife in 1990 after 40 years as an emigrant in England. He said his wife was ``terrorised'' by the raid.