Family members targeted by PSNI recruitment attempts

The daughter of a County Tyrone republican has been urged by the PSNI to turn informer on her own father, months after her cousin was subjected to the same pressure.

Saoirse Murphy, from Coalisland, is to complain to the Police Ombudsman after two plain clothes policemen tried to recruit her this week.

The 22-year-old from said she was approached as she sat in a hairdresser’s shop on Saturday, August 10.

Saoirse is the daughter of prominent local republican Kevin Murphy. While it is common for British forces to attempt to recruit informers, even direct family, it is unusual to be asked to supply information about a mother or father.

In April this year, a nephew of Kevin Murphy also said MI5 attempted to recruit him as an informer as he worked in England.

Ms Murphy said the approach took place days after the home she shares with her parents was raided by the PSNI.

She said the police phoned the hairdresser’s she was sitting in and told staff there was a problem with her car which was parked nearby and suggested she return to it.

When she made her way to the car, she said she was frozen with fear when approached by the two PSNI men.

The men told her she was “living in a dangerous place and environment” and made a reference to her “nearest and dearest”.

“They said that if I told them what I know they would keep me out of danger,” she said.

“I told them that I knew nothing about it.

“Although they didn’t mention any names I assumed that when they said ‘nearest and dearest’ they meant Daddy.”

Ms Murphy added that after she “panicked and ran” from the men, one of them shouted they “would be in touch in the next few weeks”.

“I had to go to the doctor on Monday and he gave me sleeping tablets - I was not sleeping or eating,” she said.

Urgent Appeal