Dad claims he has been stopped ‘hundreds of times’ by police

A YOUNG father from Coalisland who claims that he has been stopped and searched by the PSNI between 300 and 400 times since his late teens has expressed his concerns over the psychological impact it is having on his children.

Caoimhin Murphy (24) said that he believes the PSNI are targeting him due to his political beliefs as an Irish Republican.

Mr Murphy said that he has been targeted by police officers on an estimated 300 to 400 occasions under the Terrorism Act.

Despite having no involvement in terrorist activities, he describes these stops as a form of persistent targeting that has negatively impacted his family, particularly his children, who find the encounters distressing.

He claimed the repeated interactions echo similar incidents he witnessed as a child involving his own father.

Describing the latest incident, the Coalisland man said, “I was visiting my parents with my seven-month-old child and my partner’s four-year-old. As I was preparing to leave, the police drove into the area and swiftly turned their car and started to follow me.

“They waited until we were out on a dark, unlit road with no footpaths when they easily could have approached me in a well-lit housing area.

“As I seen the blue lights flashing, I had to reassure the children that it was going to be okay, but it was a traumatising experience for them.”

Mr Murphy said that on another occasion, he parked his car in a hospital car park while on his way to see his new-born baby when masked officers cornered him.

“I took out my phone to video it for my own safety,” he explained.

“They took my phone, threw it to the ground and pinned me against the wall.

“I am not exaggerating when I say that I have been targeted on an estimated three to four hundred occasions, at one point twice within ten minutes.”

Mr Murphy also recalled memories from his own childhood in which his father was stopped by the RUC.

He added, “They talk about how things have moved on, but what has moved on?”

After a number of stop and searches by the PSNI in the Coalisland area last week, independent councillor Dan Kerr issued a statement in which he described the police actions as ‘alarming’ and ‘disgraceful’.

He said, “This intrusive and stalking-like behaviour is alarming and disgraceful as it reinforces the points myself and others have pointed out, that the RUC/PSNI treats Republican/Nationalist working-class areas with suspicion and as second-class citizens.”

Cllr Kerr added, “I call on elected representatives who sit down with the RUC/PSNI to stop giving them legitimacy and condemn this behaviour.”