04 June 2002

Three charged with Mallusk kidnap deny charges

Three men charged with kidnapping a teenage boy last week and demanding a £100,000 ransom appeared at Belfast Magistrate’s court today.

Mark Paul Braniff (38) of Merrion Park, Belfast; Gerard Maguire (42) of Donard View, Ballyhornan in Downpatrick, County Down and Stephen Dempsey (40) of Cloverhill Vale, Bangor, County Down all denied snatching 16-year-old Charles Doherty from a caravan site on the outskirts of Belfast and blackmailing his family.

Masked men took the boy, whose father is a prominent member of the Travelling community, from his home around midnight last Monday. Several hours later a £100,000 ransom demand was made to his family with the threat that the youth would be killed if the money was not paid.

Young Charles Doherty was only finally released five days later by the kidnappers after what police described a massive covert surveillance operation.

Speaking after the rescue operation Alan McQuillan, the assistant chief constable for Greater Belfast, said the boy had been severely traumatised by the incident.

“The people who were involved in this would have had the wherewithal to kill him," he said.

All three men were remanded in custody until June 28th.

(AMcE)