Family of man pushed under train identify body

THE distraught family of a 52-year-old Dungarvan man who was pushed under a train in London last Friday flew to England yesterday to identify the body of their loved one.

John Curran was pushed from behind as he stood on a packed platform seconds before a north-bound Victoria line train entered Highbury and Islington station at approximately 6pm on that evening.

Mehmet Bala, a 20-year-old man from East London, was arrested on Saturday morning and yesterday appeared at Horseferry Road Magistrates Court charged with Mr Curran’s murder. He was remanded in custody. He was charged with the murder of an unknown person.

He will next appear in court at the Old Bailey on October 16. No application for bail was made during the hearing.

Mr Curran was a machine operator for a construction company and worked in the North Greenwich area of London. He had been living in England for the last 25 years. He had a long-term girlfriend and no children, according to British authorities.

The deceased’s parents, Tom and Nellie Curran, live at Parklane, Abbeyside, in Dungarvan, and only learned of the tragic death of their son on Saturday.

A statement from them was issued yesterday by the British Transport Police.

It said: “The family of John Curran are devastated by the loss of a gentle and caring man.

“John was loved by all who knew him and his family and friends are mourning his loss. This was a senseless incident which took the life of a good man.”

Police in London are still appealing for witnesses who were at the station or saw the attack on the platform on Friday at around 6pm to come forward. They said there were a number of witnesses who were seen on CCTV they would particularly like to talk to.

Funeral arrangements for the deceased remain to be completed, but the expectation is that his body will be flown home for burial in his home town.