The vital piece of equipment had been in position on Main Street since August, but on Wednesday past it was smashed by callous vandals and is not out of service. It is believed the defibrillator was initially put in place by Dr Roy Leary, who is based at the Lisnaskea Health Centre.

 

Local SDLP councillor Richie McPhilips, whose insurance offices are just a short distance away was left bewildered that someone would commit such an act in the town.

 

“It’s unbelievable that somebody would do such an act. “We lost the dry cleaner John O’Hagan who died back in the summer – John died of a heart attack in his shop on the Main Street and the ironic thing is the defibrillator appeared on the wall about two days after. 

 

It was just ironic, as life pans out it appeared on the wall two or three doors down from where he died.”

He continued: “Everybody that I have spoken to has expressed their disgust at such a situation. Society should have zero tolerance for something like that. I hope they don’t need something like that in the near future or somebody belonging to them.

 

“I recall my school days and I used to remember when they used to smash the toilet bowls and the wash hand basins at the school and I always wondered why. Everyone likes a bit of craic, but why do that? 

It’s the same thing as taking away a life buoy from a stretch of water. 

“Why would anyone do that? Do they think at all about what they’re doing?”

 

Local PSNI inspector Roy Robinson called the smashing of the defibrillator in Lisnaskea a “despicable act”.

 

“It’s very sad and despicable that somebody could do that to a piece of equipment that could save somebody’s life. It is just a shock that someone could stoop so low, because it could be a member of their family who requires it in the future.”

 

Mr Robinson called on anyone with information on the attack to come forward.

The closest defibrillator to the one on Main Street, Lisnaskea, is now located at the Lisnaskea Health Centre, some 500 yards away.