A WEST Belfast woman says she is living in fear for her life after receiving a death threat. Whiterock Gardens resident Sharon McConnell told the Andersonstown News that the PSNI came to her home on Saturday afternoon to say that a file had been found during a series of raids in the area and that her personal details were on it. They warned Sharon that her life was in “imminent danger”.
“I couldn’t believe I was hearing this. We are days away from Christmas and I was sitting in my house minding my own business when the police came to tell me that news. I was born and raised in the Whiterock area and have never had any trouble regarding me or my family.
” The mother of three, who has worked for the local residents’ association on a volunteer basis, says she feels let down by the lack of elaboration or detail from the PSNI on the threat made against her. “They wouldn’t disclose any more information to me in terms of who made the threat. I asked what was the threat in relation to? They couldn’t give me an answer. I asked was this file paper or electronic? They couldn’t answer me.
I asked could they leave a crime reference number and I was told they couldn’t do that either. I was then told to take into consideration my personal security and lock my doors and windows. Then the officers just left. “I can’t sleep and I’m sick with nerves, anyone would be if the police came to the door to tell them a threat had been made against their life. It’s just creepy to think that someone would do that and I want it lifted or at least someone to tell me what I’m supposed to have done so I can defend myself.” Dissident Local Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan said he had been made aware by the PSNI that a list of names was recovered following a number of raids linked to dissident republicans carried out last week.
“During recent raids a large amount of cash and a significant amount of drugs, believed to be cocaine, has been recovered. This is a very worrying development given that local West Belfast people have in the past been targeted by loyalists and indeed the entire British establishment – recent reports are a stark reminder of this.
“We now have a situation where so-called armed groups continue to blacken the name of republicans through attacking the very fabric of our communities via the apparent targeting of local people. “We call on this threat against Sharon to be lifted immediately and for these groups to cease to exist as they offer nothing.
” Sinn Féin Councillor Steven Corr said anyone with a grievance towards Sharon should contact him “to have this threat lifted immediately”. “We have a local family living in fear and terror following a totally unprofessional visitation from the PSNI to inform of a death threat and then leave without any further explanation. Sharon and her family have our total support.
” A spokesperson for the PSNI said: “We do not discuss the security of any individual. However, if we receive information that a person's life may be at risk we will inform the relevant persons accordingly. We never ignore anything which may put an individual at risk. No inference should be drawn from this.”
