Elderly brothers relive trauma of alleged continuity IRA raid ordeal
28th February 2012 Pearcemedia Northern Ireland -Mandatory Credit - Photo Mark Pearce Mandatory Credit Photo Mark Pearce Appalling Assault and robbery of elderly brothers in Lurganare, Jimmy (83) (white Jumper) and Paddy (81) Murtagh. the Pensioners where sickly attacked in their own home. Five masked men burst into their house demanding money .
29 February 2012 08:31
TWO elderly brothers have told of their trauma after a masked and armed gang claiming to be from the Continuity IRA robbed them at their home on the outskirts of Newry.
Patsy, 81, and Jimmy Murtagh, 83, were attacked after the gang forced their way into the house at Lurganare Cross just after 6.30pm on Monday. The gang made off with the brothers’ pensions in a dark coloured car after ransacking their home.
Jimmy Murtagh, who tried to stop one of the men, was struck across the face. A shocked Jimmy told the News Letter: “There was a loud thumping outside. I sensed then I was in trouble because it wasn’t a nice wee knock like one a neighbour would do. I said to myself ‘I’m in trouble now, this is the boys again’. They came in with balaclavas on.”
Mr Murtagh, whose home has now been robbed three times, said when one of the masked men came into the sitting room he grabbed a chair and “I faced him at the door”.
“Then another boy came from nowhere with an iron bar and clipped me on the forehead,” he said. “He said ‘don’t worry we are not here for your money. We don’t need money, we’re from the Continuity IRA’.
“I am pretty sure those are the same boys that robbed me the first time.”
The brothers have a panic button Patsy normally wears round his neck but on the night of the robbery it was on a dressing table in the bedroom. Mr Murtagh said when the men left he and his brother were “scared”. “We were both in a terrible state and didn’t know what to do.” Both brothers were taken to hospital with a minor injury.
Ulster Unionist councillor for Newry and Armagh, and a neighbour of the brothers in Jerrettspass, Andy Moffett, described the men who carried out the armed robbery as “a crowd of thugs”. “These men have lived in the area all their lives and are decent, respectable people – they should not have to put up with this type of behaviour,” he said.
DUP MLA for the area William Irwin said: “This is a totally ridiculous and shocking attack and those who carried it out are nothing more than thugs. It really doesn’t get any lower than this.”
Mayor of Newry Charlie Casey, who also spent time with the brothers, said he has “particular concerns about the protection of the elderly and most vulnerable from this type of crime”.
“Despite being robbed twice, this family was not considered eligible to have extra security fittings installed at their home,” he said
“I urge the Housing Executive to target resources as a matter of urgency into placing additional security on the homes of our elderly.”
Police have asked anyone with information on the attack to come forward. Chief Inspector David Beck said: “Crimes against any vulnerable member of our community are abhorrent and a conscious decision to break into the home of an elderly person and violate their personal property is despicable.”
“The two gentlemen in this incident have been left extremely shaken by this incident and we are now working to find those responsible.”
Source http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/elderly_brothers_relive_trauma_of_raid_ordeal_1_3570653
29 February 2012 08:31
TWO elderly brothers have told of their trauma after a masked and armed gang claiming to be from the Continuity IRA robbed them at their home on the outskirts of Newry.
Patsy, 81, and Jimmy Murtagh, 83, were attacked after the gang forced their way into the house at Lurganare Cross just after 6.30pm on Monday. The gang made off with the brothers’ pensions in a dark coloured car after ransacking their home.
Jimmy Murtagh, who tried to stop one of the men, was struck across the face. A shocked Jimmy told the News Letter: “There was a loud thumping outside. I sensed then I was in trouble because it wasn’t a nice wee knock like one a neighbour would do. I said to myself ‘I’m in trouble now, this is the boys again’. They came in with balaclavas on.”
Mr Murtagh, whose home has now been robbed three times, said when one of the masked men came into the sitting room he grabbed a chair and “I faced him at the door”.
“Then another boy came from nowhere with an iron bar and clipped me on the forehead,” he said. “He said ‘don’t worry we are not here for your money. We don’t need money, we’re from the Continuity IRA’.
“I am pretty sure those are the same boys that robbed me the first time.”
The brothers have a panic button Patsy normally wears round his neck but on the night of the robbery it was on a dressing table in the bedroom. Mr Murtagh said when the men left he and his brother were “scared”. “We were both in a terrible state and didn’t know what to do.” Both brothers were taken to hospital with a minor injury.
Ulster Unionist councillor for Newry and Armagh, and a neighbour of the brothers in Jerrettspass, Andy Moffett, described the men who carried out the armed robbery as “a crowd of thugs”. “These men have lived in the area all their lives and are decent, respectable people – they should not have to put up with this type of behaviour,” he said.
DUP MLA for the area William Irwin said: “This is a totally ridiculous and shocking attack and those who carried it out are nothing more than thugs. It really doesn’t get any lower than this.”
Mayor of Newry Charlie Casey, who also spent time with the brothers, said he has “particular concerns about the protection of the elderly and most vulnerable from this type of crime”.
“Despite being robbed twice, this family was not considered eligible to have extra security fittings installed at their home,” he said
“I urge the Housing Executive to target resources as a matter of urgency into placing additional security on the homes of our elderly.”
Police have asked anyone with information on the attack to come forward. Chief Inspector David Beck said: “Crimes against any vulnerable member of our community are abhorrent and a conscious decision to break into the home of an elderly person and violate their personal property is despicable.”
“The two gentlemen in this incident have been left extremely shaken by this incident and we are now working to find those responsible.”
Source http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/elderly_brothers_relive_trauma_of_raid_ordeal_1_3570653
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