Family-of-six face spending Christmas on the streets after ‘receiving dying threats’

A family-of-six who already had to flee their home after getting death threats and being harassed face a brutal Christmas on the streets thanks to a spat with their council.

Kathleen Mongans and Brendan Francis Quinn, originally from Belfast, say they have been evicted from their Merseyside home and told to leave in less than three weeks. The local authority says the couple and their four children do not qualify for housing in the area after they fled Northern Ireland.

Now Kathleen fears they could lose their children if the council doesn’t overturn its decision. “My greatest fear in life is something I can barely even say and it’s all I think about. I’m constantly scared about whether my children will get removed from me if we become homeless and I simply can’t live without my children,” said Mongans.

READ MORE: Supermodel Georgina Cooper dies aged 46 less than a year after wedding

Click here for the latest headlines from the Daily Star.

She said that would “destroy her” and their family, adding: “I’ve already had a breakdown and I just know I can’t go on like this.” The family fled to the Sefton in April, claiming Brendan faced death threats back home, reports the Liverpool Echo.

They fear their lives would be at risk if they returned to Northern Ireland and despite appealing the council’s decision, they’ve had no luck in getting it overturned. “We’re being told to go back to Belfast, but that’s like signing our own death warrant,” Mongans added.

Upon arriving in Merseyside, they declared themselves homeless at Sefton Council which arranged temporary shelter while scrutinising their housing application and investigating the history behind their move. Since then the children have started school in the area.

But Sefton Council spoke to authorities in Belfast and concluded the family is not at significant enough risk for further housing, so they are not entitled to temporary or permanent accommodation.

“We fled from violence,” Mongans added. “We cannot go back to Belfast as my partner will be shot and that’s the threat we’re living under.

“In Belfast, they don’t come knocking on your door in the middle of the day and announce they’re going to hurt you. We were threatened so we packed up and left and didn’t look back. Brendan’s dad passed away two weeks ago after battling cancer and he couldn’t even go back for his funeral.”

The council claims it has been unable to find any evidence the family was fleeing violence or that there was any significant risk. This is despite claims of a life threat against Brendan being backed by a Belfast City Council officer, who had previously worked with the family.

The local authority’s news service obtained a letter from the official, which was sent to Sefton Council backing up the family’s case. A Sefton Council spokesperson said: “While we can’t comment on individual circumstances, as with all homelessness applications, the council discharges its statutory duties as defined in homelessness legislation to ensure that everyone is treated fairly.”

It also advised: “Households that find themselves in circumstances where their accommodation is, or has, become insecure should contact the local authority as soon as possible. Details can be found on our website.”

For the latest breaking news and stories from across the globe from the Daily Star, sign up for our newsletters.