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Home of disabled man petrol bombed - again

Thursday, 2 February 2012

A house on Conagher Road, Ballymoney, that suffered minor scorch damage in a Petrol Bomb attack on Tuesday morning last week.

THE home of a disabled Ballymoney man has been targeted in a petrol bomb attack for a second time in less than six months. The incident happened at a house on the Conagher Road Ballymoney in the early hours of last Tuesday morning (24th). The property was also damaged in a similar attack last October.
Police confirmed two petrol bombs were thrown at the house on Tuesday morning - one which was reported to have been aimed at the window hit the wall causing scorch damage and the second was hurled at the front door but failed to go off.
The family - including a man who is wheelchair bound - were at home at the time although no-one was injured in the incident.
Last week the family made a passionate plea on a local radio station to be left alone.
Local representatives have hit out at those involved, appealing for the family to be left in peace.
Ulster Unionist North Antrim MLA Robin Swann said he was "horrified" to learn of the attack. "There is no excuse or reason whatsoever which can be advanced for this type of activity and whilst no-one was injured on this occasion, a tragedy could have resulted," he said.
“The people of Ballymoney have no time for anyone who would seek to carry out this type of attack. They want to live in peace with their neighbours and free from attack and the fear of attack."
Steven Phillips, a member of Dervock and District Community Association said the couple who live in the house are "deeply disturbed" by this spate of attacks.
“I utterly abhor this attack taken place again and call on the PSNI and the Northern Ireland Office to provide this family with the means of defence to stop this happening again.
“The occupants of this house have, at their own expense, purchased a camera to keep an eye on their property. Only last week someone deliberately stuck nails into their car tyre parked in the driveway.
“If there is a reason, no-one seems to know what it is. They are living in fear and paranoid of every sound.
“One of the devices aimed at the front door failed to go off, but if it had the consequences could have been fatal because of the time it takes this disabled man to and get out of bed."
Chair of Dervock and District Community Association Frankie Cunningham added: " These are isolated, vulnerable people exacerbated by the fact that one of the occupants is wheelchair bound.
“As a community which is moving to a post conflict environment - this really is a primitive form of resolving issues/arguments, real or unreal. As far as I'm aware this is the third recorded incident against this family - and I would appeal to those statutory agencies to engage with the family and the wider community to engender a way forward."
When contacted by the Chronicle the family said they were letting police deal with the matter and didn't wish to comment further.
Police have appealed for information about the following the incident which occurred at approximately 2.20am on February 24th.

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