BRIAN DOHERTY STRABANE CHILD KILLER FACES TRANSFER TO BELFAST CLINIC

In a development that has stirred deep emotional distress among the family of a young victim, Brian Doherty, the convicted child murderer from Strabane, is potentially set to be transferred from a high-security hospital in Scotland to a new medical facility located at Knockbracken Healthcare Park in south Belfast. This possible move has raised significant concerns for the family of Kieran Hegarty, the 11-year-old boy whose tragic death Doherty was responsible for in 1994.

According to reports, Doherty, who has been incarcerated since his conviction, is among a group of patients from Northern Ireland being evaluated at Carstairs State Hospital in Scotland for possible transfer to the Shannon Clinic at Knockbracken. The family of Kieran Hegarty, especially his mother Kathleen, expressed their profound anguish and fear over the prospect of Doherty’s return to Northern Ireland. Kathleen Hegarty voiced her worries about the safety of her family and grandchildren should Doherty be moved back to the region, emphasizing the ongoing trauma and emotional pain caused by his crimes.

Back in August 1999, Doherty, who had previously been described as a 'walking timebomb' by residents of Strabane, sought parole from the mental health facility where he was held. At that time, he applied for early release, claiming he was prepared to reintegrate into society. Doherty, who had been diagnosed with severe psychological issues and held at Scotland’s high-security Carstairs Hospital, had been convicted of the brutal murder of 11-year-old Kieran Hegarty. The court proceedings revealed disturbing details about Doherty’s fascination with Nazi ideology and weapons, which added to the concerns about his mental state.

He was sentenced to life imprisonment in May 1995, at the age of 21, after committing one of the most heinous crimes in the region’s history. The murder occurred shortly after Doherty had signed himself out of psychiatric care in Tyrone and Fermanagh, just days before he murdered Kieran. The young boy was bludgeoned to death, and Doherty later returned to the crime scene, attempting to conceal the body in marshy ground. When apprehended, Doherty confessed to a series of brutal acts, including stripping Kieran, throwing him into a quarry, and attempting to burn his body with a lighter. He also beat the boy’s head against a tree and struck him with a stick, all while the child pleaded for his life, saying, “Don’t kill me. I never did anything to you. I’m making my confirmation next March.”

During police interrogation, Doherty admitted to further acts of cruelty, including holding a lighter to Kieran’s genitals and ears in an attempt to burn the body. The judge at his trial, Mr. Justice Higgins, described Doherty as a “menace to society” and emphasized the monstrous cruelty involved in the murder. The court sentenced him to life imprisonment for murder, along with an additional ten years for kidnapping. The court also ordered that psychiatric profiles of Doherty remain part of the court records, highlighting the danger he poses if ever considered for parole or release.

As Doherty’s application for freedom is now under review, authorities are examining these detailed psychiatric profiles and the disturbing history of his crimes. The case continues to evoke strong emotions within the community, especially among those who remember the tragic loss of young Kieran Hegarty and the ongoing concerns about Doherty’s potential return to Northern Ireland.