Man attacked with hockey sticks in sectarian assault

A Catholic man was severely beaten in a sectarian attack as he walked along the Whitewell Road on the outskirts of North Belfast in the early hours of Saturday 2 April. He is the latest resident from the area to be targeted by loyalists in the past month.

The 27-year-old, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he had just reached the Arthur Bridge on the Whitewell Road when four men wearing balaclavas came out of nowhere and began beating him around the knees and shoulders with hockey sticks.

The man told how he eventually managed to escape into a taxi office, where he collapsed on the floor.

He explained that the PSNI arrived shortly after and offered to call an ambulance before leaving the scene. "I don't know who called the PSNI but when they arrived they didn't ask me to make a statement although I wanted to make one, but they seemed too quick to go elsewhere".

Two girls were attacked

An Phoblacht has also learned that two girls were attacked in the same area shortly before the attack on the man and that the same gang may have been involved.

In a separate sectarian attack, a Catholic man suffered broken ribs, severe bruising to his body and facial injuries after being beaten in his East Belfast home by four loyalists dressed in black and armed with sticks.