Co Derry couple’s wedding money stolen and house wrecked in burglary

A couple from Co Derry have been left distraught after their wedding money was stolen when their home was broken into in the run-up to Christmas.

Ciara McGreevy said she had been working then out Christmas shopping on December 12, and when she returned to her home in Bellaghy later that evening, immediately noticed something was wrong.

After noticing her key wouldn’t catch in the lock, Ciara suspected it had been tampered with, but presumed she must have just broken the lock herself. Soon after, her partner returned home and noticed further damage, including a sum of money that had been stolen.

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Speaking to Belfast Live, Ciara explained: “My partner and I had been working and I stayed out late Christmas shopping. I came back that evening with all the shopping and put the keys in the door, but the key wouldn’t catch in the lock.

“My initial thought was it was a bit strange, so I put the bags down, and took out the flashlight on my phone to look at the lock. I thought someone had tried to break in as it looked like the lock had been tampered with.

“I called my partner, who was thankfully five minutes away, so I rightly or wrongly then went into the house. For all I knew they were still in there – but in the heat of the moment I just went in.

“The house looked completely normal from the front. I thought I must have broken the lock myself or it must have snapped.

“I went to the bathroom, put the heat on, started doing my normal evening routine and it was grand. My partner came home and said the lock had been tampered with, but he walked around and saw the back ensuite bathroom window was smashed then.”

The back window of their property was smashed, and a sum of money the couple was saving towards their wedding was stolen. Ciara said they had recently moved to the area, and the burglary has left them feeling on edge.

“There were two real emotions – devastation and fear. We’re not even living here long, and for someone to come so quickly after we move here is very startling,” she said.

“We’re getting married in July 2026, thankfully it’s not this year or that would’ve been a whole host of other problems. It’s not ideal, I had a separate pot and everything saving up for the likes of my wedding dress and that’s all been taken now.

“I think once we get the likes of CCTV cameras installed it’ll put us at a bit more ease.

“I wouldn’t wish this on anybody. For those involved, I hope their family doesn’t experience the same, because the trauma it leaves you feeling is crazy. How would they feel if this had happened to their daughter?”

Ciara’s sister, Eimear, started a fundraising page to help with the cost of repairs and installing additional CCTV. Posting on the GoFundMe page, she said: “On Thursday 12th December 2024 my sister returned home from work to find their home had been burgled.

“The intruder has caused a considerable amount of damage to the front door of the property and smashed a rear window. A substantial amount of money has been stolen, this being savings for their up coming wedding.

“I am making this go fund me in the hope that with the power of this we as a community can help towards the cost of repairs to their home and additional cctv.

“As you can imagine that has caused an unimaginable amount of distress and trauma to this young couple and any help will be greatly appreciated.”

A spokesperson for the PSNI said: “Police are investigating the report of a burglary in Gulladuff Road area, Bellaghy, on Thursday 12th December.

“It was reported that a mobile home at the rear of a house in the area was entered sometime between 8.30am and 8.20pm and a sum of money stolen.

“The investigation is ongoing and officers would ask anyone with any information about this incident or who may be able to help with our investigation, to call them at Magherafelt on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference number 1546 12/12/24 or submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/.”

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Image Credits and Reference: https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/co-derry-couples-wedding-money-30741806