‘I’m blind, I need my cane’ – Footage shows blind man and family evicted from home in pyjamas

August 31 2015 01:08 PM

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A blind man, his wife and their ten-year-old son were evicted last week from their property in Kells, Co. Meath.

Photographs and a video of John Lloyd (43) being evicted from his home have been viewed by over one million people on Facebook since they were posted over the weekend.

The family have lived in the house for 14 years and said that they are ‘traumatised’ by the ordeal.

John, a former civil servant, told the Irish Sun that the family ‘have been treated worse than animals’.

“We were in our bare feet and nightclothes,” he told the Irish Sun.

“I pleaded, please don’t do this to us. I begged and I begged. But it’s what the bank ordered.

“We’re in despair. Our home has been taken from us”.

The video shows a number of people congregated at the door of the property. An argument can be heard coming from inside.

John’s wife Fiona (44) said the family had been ‘making repayments as best we could’.

John and Fiona’s son is said to be ‘distressed’ since the incident, which left the family cat ‘Mittens’ in the property.

The family lodged a motion in the High Court last Wednesday to stop the bank selling the house.

In a statement, the National Land League of Ireland said that ‘the family that were evicted are being accommodated by friends’.

“A recap of today’s events is that a family comprising a young boy, his mother and blind father were evicted from their home without warning by the Sheriffs of Meath and Louth and bailiffs and locksmiths,” they said.

“Friends of the family come to support them through the traumatic experience were denied access as were numerous activists. One local NLLI activist did manage to gain access and reported a terrible scene”.

“The family has asked NLLI to thank the many people who have offered both moral and practical support over the day”.

Stepstone Mortgages told the Irish Sun that they have a “policy of not discussing the details of any individual cases… out of respect for client confidentiality”.