Man who dragged dead uncle to Post Office for pension set to walk free in days
A heartless crook who dragged his dead uncle to the Post Office to continue claiming his pension is set to be released from jail this week despite having only just been sentenced days ago.
Declan Haughney was jailed last week for the macabre attempt, in which he and friend Gareth Coakley brought Peadar Doyle to Hoseys Post Office in Carlow, Ireland, to claim his weekly €246 allowance back in January last year.
Haughney, 41, was given two years in jail plus six months suspended at Carlow circuit court last week, but could walk free within days having already served most of the time in custody on remand. Having been in jail for 18 months already, the sentence means he could be a free man by Friday, Irish Mirror reports.
Shocking CCTV played in court last week showed horrifying images of 66-year-old Peadar Doyle's lifeless body lying on the shop floor moments after he'd been declared dead, with rigor mortis having already set in.
One witness described his horror at seeing the "greyish" looking body of Mr Doyle, whose legs could be seen dangling on the ground as the grim pair held him against the shop counter demanding the pension.
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Peadey Doyle had been declared dead when he was dragged to the Post Office in attempts to cash in on his pension (Mirrorpix)
Haughney may be freed as early as Friday (Colin Keegan)Mr Doyle's lifeless body had been dragged through the streets, with Haughney and Coakley falsely claiming they had called for an ambulance.
Members of the public gathered in shock at the grim spectacle, with one woman calling emergency services as the pair tried to queue jump.
Staff in the shop refused to hand over the cash, with Haughney not even a named agent able to collect on Mr Doyle's behalf, prompting them the become aggressive.
Another woman described driving down the road seen Mr Doyle's lifeless body being dragged, saying she knew then "something wasn't right".
The woman, named in court only as Ms Knight, had pulled over asking, "is he alright lads?" but was told by the pair he was fine and that an ambulance had been called, despite records showing no call was ever placed.
Joe O’Keeffe from the town's Garda said that Declan Haugney came to him in the post office and told him that the man on the ground was his uncle and claimed that he had brought him down to collect his pension “as he had been feeling unwell” and that he collapsed at the counter.
Gareth Coakley (Colin Keegan)Garda O'Keefe tried to perform CPR on Mr Doyle, but it was discovered he was already gone.
Mr Justice Eugene O’Kelly slammed the pair over their “callous disregard for the dignity and welfare of a dying man,” saying they “refused an offer” for a call to help and “literally abandoned him on the floor of the Post Office.”
“They were the ones who removed him from his home. He may have died peacefully in his bed. No person should have to die in those circumstances."
He added that “extraordinary public interest” had been generated by the story, which in turn made things harder for his family.
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Peadar Doyle’s sister Noeleen Dowling, who is the aunt of Haughney, said in a victim statement that he was “reduced to a macabre spectacle and his dignity was taken away from him”.
A trial due to start this week was cancelled when the men decided to plead guilty at the last minute on Wednesday.
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