Missing man’s father rejects IRA statement

THE father of an Armagh man missing since May has rubbished IRA assertions they had nothing to do with his disappearance.

Mark O’Connor said he was “100% convinced” the Provisional IRA abducted his son and then killed him.

Accusing republicans of lying about the disappearance of his 24-year-old son, Gareth, he demanded: “I would like them to come clean and, if my son is dead, give me back his body so I can give him a Christian burial.” The missing man vanished on a Sunday while driving from his home in Armagh City to Dundalk to report to police as part of his bail conditions while awaiting trial on a charge of belonging to an illegal dissident republican group.