CALLOUS vandals have destroyed precious memories of young croc victim Jeremy Doble, a year after he was taken from the banks of the Daintree River.
A year after burying their youngest son, Steve and Sharon Doble woke at the weekend to the "total annihilation" of the ticket booth that serves their business, the Daintree River Train.
Among the rubble was the remains of a small shrine to Jeremy, who was five when he was taken by a croc on the banks of the river near his home last year.
His grief-stricken father believes this latest deplorable incident is the "worst act yet" in a string of death threats, vandalism and harassment engulfing the Daintree River community.
The trouble started months before Jeremy’s death.
"Our plan for Saturday was to go to (Port Douglas church) Mary’s By the Sea to pay our respects but instead we were here with the police," Mr Doble said.
"In fact, the day Jeremy was taken, I was here, repairing another smashed sign, when I should have been at home with my family."
Mossman police officer-in-charge Sgt Ed Lukin said a Cairns forensic team had investigated the scene on Saturday and night patrols in the area had been stepped up.
The vandalism comes nearly two years after the Doble family and well-known community campaigner Dixie Phillpot received a string of malicious emails, penned by a person with intimate knowledge of the families.
In mid-April, 2008 the Dobles received five emails and Ms Phillpot received two, each threatening death, though neither police nor the victims can confirm a link between the emails and this latest attack.
"Be funny to see scumbags like you people eaten alive by a crocodile. So do the world a favour and die," read one chilling email threat made before Jeremy's death. "Your booking in Hell is confirmed and Satan is waiting for you. He'll get angry if you keep him waiting."
Ms Phillpot, who has sat on a variety of tourism and community boards, said she was disgusted no one had been prosecuted.
"I fought for land rights and I had a lot of people come up to me and say, ‘Dixie, I don’t agree with what you’re doing’ and that is fine, but never have I been met with this kind of hatred – I haven’t been to a community event since," she said.
Sgt Lukin confirmed police had seized a computer from a Daintree property, but the machine was later returned and no charges were laid.
"At the moment, the matter is finalised, however, if anyone has further information, we would encourage them to call Crime Stoppers," Sgt Lukin said.
"In regards to the damage of touts (ticket booths) in the western precinct, police will be considering the use of covert cameras in the area and anyone caught causing damage will be severely dealt with.
"There are people in that community who know who did this and who damaged the Nice and Easy Tout box (on January 25) and I call upon them to show the rest of Mossman that they do have a conscience and provide information that would identify the offenders."
Details can be given to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
