Memorial bench in Dungannon for little Ali Jayden

A mother from Dungannon says she hopes to have a bench placed in Dungannon in memory of little Ali Jayden Doyle, who died  two weeks ago.

Last Sunday, the two-year-old was described as a “beautiful soul” who had made a big impression on all who met her, as residents of the Sycamore Drive where she had lived, gathered together for a vigil and a colourful display of balloons.

The event came after a week, which saw her mother Jade Dempsey (24) appear in court to face charges of perverting the course of justice and causing or allowing the death of a child, while her partner, 32-year-old Darren Armstrong, is accused of Ali’s murder and perverting the course of justice.

Nikita Skeffington who helped organise the vigil said a bench has already been donated along with money for a plaque to commemorate the little girl.

“As a single mother myself, I just felt so sad about what happened to Ali Jayden, and I wanted to do something to remember her,” she said.

“I suggested (on social media) that a bench could be placed somewhere here in Dungannon and one woman got in touch with me and donated the bench, which has been professionally made.

“There has also been money donated for the plaque which goes along with the bench. All I need now is some help from the council to find out the best place for putting the bench, so that people can remember the little girl.”

Speaking to the Dungannon Herald on Sunday, Mandy Sutton who lives directly across from Ali Jayden’s home and also helped organise the vigil, said the sense of shock and sadness has not dissipated in the days since her passing.

“Every time you open the curtains you could almost imagine her coming out of the house, it just hasn’t been good. It’s been heartbreaking and absolutely traumatising,” she said.

“Before I was a protective mum, but now I’m even more protective. I’m just so scared all the time now. I just didn’t see that coming at all obviously, and at the start I was thinking if I could have done something to prevent it, could I have helped in some way more.

“It’s just coming to terms with this, you go through so many emotions and it’s so hard and so devastating.”

She continued, “My little son would have been out playing with her and would have been in her house playing too.

“She was so playful and so funny. She was beautiful, just a beautiful wee soul. She was so sassy; If she was doing something she shouldn’t have been doing and Jade said to her ‘don’t be doing that’, she would have thrown her head over like this. She was such a dote.”

Mandy who invited local residents to take balloons home in memory of the child, said she hoped the vigil would help bring some sense of closure and healing to the local residents and those affected by the death.

Dungannon councillor Barry Monteith said it had been a “very tough week” for the whole community. “It has just been so, so sad, it’s heartbreaking.” he said. “It was good to see people come out like this in memory of little Ali Jayden and hopefully it will help people by doing this.”