Shannon McQuillan's father 'disgusted and ashamed' by PSNI actions on night of her death

Paul McQuillan said his family has been through seven-and-a-half years of “turmoil” since the death of his daughter in Co Antrim on January 20 2018.

A police ombudsman report said there had been multiple breaches in the duty of care offered by police to 19-year-old Ms McQuillan.

She died and her boyfriend Owen McFerran, 21, sustained life-changing injuries after they were hit by a van near Toomebridge.

It happened after three police officers, a Northern Ireland Ambulance Service paramedic and a trainee emergency technician left them alone on the Moneynick Road.

The police ombudsman said officers failed to safeguard the couple's welfare, complete basic checks in relation to them and recognise the risk of leaving them alone together beside a road.

Mr McQuillan, his wife Colette and daughter Charlene met with representatives of the police ombudsman yesterday as the report was published.

Mr McQuillan said: “I am glad that this report is now out, albeit seven-and-a-half years after my daughter was killed.

“The family has been through turmoil for seven-and-a-half years.

“It hasn't been easy, it never will be easy, you never forget about a daughter.

“I am really disgusted and ashamed of the behaviour of the Police Service of Northern Ireland on the night in question.

“How they could leave a 19-year-old girl who was drunk, who had a head injury, who was dressed for a nightclub, at half three in the morning in a lay-by and her freezing cold.

“Shannon was not aggressive or anything, never was.”

He added: “By her actions obviously there was a head injury that was doing something to her.

“But to leave her at half three in the morning in freezing conditions and her dressed for a nightclub, if I did it to a dog I would probably do time for cruelty.”

Family solicitor Barry O'Donnell said the death had left a “serious void” within the McQuillan family.

He added: “We will carefully consider the findings of the Police Ombudsman with the family and advise them further.

“The family have already issued High Court civil proceedings last year against the Chief Constable of the PSNI and the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.”