DUP and BBC trivialise gun attack on family

Unionist political ambivalence to sectarian violence was once again demonstrated when DUP MP for East Derry Gregory Campbell described as "naive" a Catholic family whose home was attacked twice in two days by unionist paramilitaries.

The family who lived in the predominantly loyalist Ballysally estate in Coleraine, County Derry, for 20 years, were shot at after they flew a Tyrone GAA flag from their home for the All-Ireland final between Tyrone and Armagh.

At 12.30am on Thursday morning 2 October, a loyalist gang thought to be connected to the UDA, opened fire at the house with bullets penetrating the front door and sitting room window.

Three adults in the house at Rochester Court at the time escaped injury.

In the first attack the family was targeted on Tuesday 30 September when their GAA flag was torn down then wrapped in a brick and thrown through the window.

After the gun attack DUP MP Gregory Campbell said the attack was, "unjustifiable", but added that putting up a GAA flag in a loyalist area could be considered, "a bit naive".

The family have since left their home of 20 years.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin representative Conor Murphy has taken the BBC to task over remarks made by leading radio presenter Wendy Austin over the Coleraine shooting.

Murphy, who described Austin as "the unionist host of the show", said the presenter trivialised the incident when she remarked to SDLP representative John Dallat that "we are not suggesting Armagh fans carried this out", followed by a laugh.

"This was a disgraceful remark with the clear intention to trivialise the fact that unionist paramilitaries had attempted to kill a Catholic family," said Murphy, who called on the BBC to deal with the matter and apologise to the family and the wider Catholic and nationalist community.