THE FATHER, uncle and aunt of a teenage boy missing for nearly two months appeared in court yesterday charged with his abduction.
They were arrested after Tyrone McFall (14) was found by police yesterday at his uncle’s home in Dungannon, Co Tyrone.
Tyrone’s father, Damian McFall (39), Redford Park, Dungannon, appeared at the town’s Magistrates Court with his brother, Shane, and sister-in-law, Tanya McFall (both 36), Fairmount Park, Dungannon.
Shane McFall was also charged with assaulting a police officer during the recovery of the boy.
The men were remanded in custody to appear again via video link on February 18th. Ms McFall was bailed to return on the same date.
The court was told the boy was found hiding under a mattress in the uncle’s house.
A detective constable told the court that the schoolboy and three siblings were the subject of a care order made in July 2007 which directed that they should live with Damian McFall’s sister.
On November 29th last year, Tyrone disappeared from his aunt’s home. Under cross-examination by defence solicitors, the detective constable agreed the boy had run away and had not been taken forcibly.
A large-scale police search operation was mounted for almost two months during which, the officer said, the three accused had been “unco-operative in the hunt and failed to attend police meetings”.
He said police had searched the home of the boy’s uncle, Shane McFall, on a number of occasions following information that the boy was there, but had not found him.
They had returned in the early hours of Tuesday morning and discovered him there.
Ms McFall and her husband told police during questioning that the boy had arrived at the house on Tuesday morning. They said they had let him in and intended to return him to his legal guardian in the morning. Police believe the boy had been there longer. – (PA)