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Harry McCafferty (75), of Cornshell Fields, was diagnosed with three types of cancer after being admitted to hospital following a heart attack last October.

After coming to terms with the traumatic news that he had just months to live, the long-time member of Derry Credit Union then enquired about death benefit insurance (DBI) provided by the body.

However, he was dismayed to be told that due to a policy change which was passed at the AGM of Derry Credit Union in November last, he was no longer eligible for the £1,000 DBI pay out.

He learned that the DBI had been previously provided for all Derry Credit Union members of two years or more, but on November 21 the body’s membership unanimously passed a motion that ‘the DBI for the year 2012 be paid for by members by way of a deduction from dividend and/or interest rate rebate’.

Mr McCafferty, who also holds an account in Pennyburn Credit Union, where death benefit insurance was not provided, did not have sufficient dividend in Derry Credit Union to pay the insurance premium.

But he says he didn’t realize that until it was too late. By the time he enquired about his DBI policy, the December cut-off date for premium payment had passed.

Mr McCafferty told the ‘Journal’: “I received no notification that the decision had been taken, I received no letter, I simply knew nothing of it. I had enough money in the account to pay the premium, which was around £6, but did not know that I had to do it.”
(Source: Derry Journal)

Donegal

The family of a man murdered by dissident republicans in Donegal four years ago say they are confident that more people will be brought to justice.

Andrew Burns’ family were speaking after a 37-year-old Strabane man was sentenced to life for the murder of the 27-year-old at Doneyloop in February 2008.

Martin Kelly of Barrack St, Strabane, Co Tyrone was handed the sentence at the Special Criminal Court last Tuesday after being convicted last month.

Speaking to the Donegal Democrat, Andrew’s sister Michelle Coyle said: “Really at the end of the day there is going to be no sentence that is going to bring anybody back. We have a great deal of sympathy for Mr. Kelly’s family who are victims in this as well. We would also like to thank everyone who helped - all the people involved in getting as far as we have got, the gardaí and the PSNI. This brings a little bit of closure. We are confident that there will be more convictions and it is just a matter of having to go through that again.”

Mr Burns was shot twice in the back by a gunman linked to the dissident republican group, Oglaigh na hEireann. Kelly (37 was also found guilty of the unlawful possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life on the same date.

Kelly’s trial began in early October last year but after two days of evidence the court started a “trial within a trial” to decide on the admissibility of statements made by Kelly while in garda custody in Letterkenny and a statement made by Kelly to two senior garda at a hotel in Northern Ireland.

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Nster.com