Republican News · Thursday 15 August 2002

Catholic student dies after sectarian attack

A Catholic student, savagely beaten by loyalists outside Kelly's nightclub In Portrush, County Antrim, last Friday 2 August, has died of his injuries.

Chris Whitson a 20-year-old student from Strathmore Park in North Belfast and a student at Dundee University in Scotland, was in a coma in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast where he died on Monday night 12 August.

According to witnesses to the attack, the loyalists responsible were ejected from the nightclub by bouncers because they were hurling sectarian abuse at people inside.

Again, witnesses say that Whitson was identified as a Catholic when the loyalists spotted a holy medal he was wearing.

The loyalists lay in wait in the car park of the club and when Whitson came out they set upon him and left him with severe head injuries.

Whitson was brought to the Royal Hospital and put on a life support machine, where his family kept a vigil at his bedside.

The Whitson family's parish priest, Father Sean Emerson, said that although the family had held out hope that Chris would pull through, they were aware for some days that he was dying. "I suppose they had a certain amount of time to get used to the idea over the past ten days that Chris would die," said Father Emerson.

On Tuesday 13 August, a bail application at the High Court in Belfast on behalf of 20-year-old David Gaston from Eglish Road and 28-year-old Gary Davidson from Carnstron Road, both in Broughshane, County Antrim, was adjourned after Justice McLaughlin said it would be "entirely inappropriate" at this time. The pair are being held on remand on charges of causing grievous bodily harm.

Speaking to An Phoblacht, Sinn Féin representative for East Derry, Francie Brolly offered his sincere condolences to the family of the young man. "This is another brutal sectarian killing carried out by loyalists intent on raising sectarian tensions in this area," said Brolly.