Republican News · Thursday 5 September 2002

Catholic men escape death bid

Two Catholic men in their 30s escaped almost certain death last Sunday after a UDA gunman tried to shoot them.

The sectarian attack happened at around 3.30pm on Sunday 1 September at an alleyway at the bottom of Winston Way in Coleraine, County Derry. The men were sitting on a bench when the masked loyalist approached them and pulled a small black machine gun from under his coat.

According to a friend of the men, who had spoken to them just minutes before the failed attack, the loyalist pointed his weapon at them but it jammed as he was about to open fire. The man says the loyalist pulled the trigger twice and when the gun failed to fire, ran off into the predominately loyalist Winston Way area.

"The two men were very badly shaken by this sectarian attack," he said. "We could have been getting ready for two funerals if the gun had not jammed. Everybody is in no doubt that this was a UDA murder bid on Catholics."

This attempted killing was only the latest in a series of UDA attacks in the County Derry town. Only last week, a family had a lucky escape when a UDA gang fired two shots through their front door in the Harpers Hill area.

"These latest attacks came about after a new mural, to commemorate UDA man William Campbell, was unveiled. Campbell died when the bomb he was handling went off in Winston Way just yards from this attack," said our source.

In the past number of years, the UDA's Derry and North Antrim Brigade have increased the number of attacks against Catholics and their homes in Coleraine.

SDLP mayor lucky to be alive

Loyalists aborted an attack on SDLP East Derry Assembly member John Dallat on Sunday night, 1 September, according to reports. Two hooded men wearing boiler suits and carrying a holdall were seen near the Kilrea home of the SDLP member.

Dallat, who last year became the first nationalist mayor of Coleraine Borough Council, had received loyalist death threats in the past. His home address telephone number and mobile telephone number appeared on a loyalist website last year after he spoke out against websites linked to loyalist paramilitaries.

Following Sunday night's murder attempt on two Catholics in Coleraine, nationalists say that sectarian attacks in Coleraine carried out by the Derry and North Antrim Brigade of the UDA have increased.

In the last three years, there have been over 200 loyalist attacks, including 11 shootings, six pipe bombings and three petrol bombings in the area.

In June last year, loyalists killed 25-year-old John McCormick in the Ballysally area of Coleraine despite the fact that RUC/PSNI members visited McCormick and warned him that his life was in danger. The family home was pipe bombed by loyalists a month before he was killed.

On 2 August last month, Catholic student Chris Whitson died from his injuries after he was savagely beaten by loyalists outside Kelly's nightclub in nearby Portrush.

Sinn Féin's East Derry representative, Francie Brolly, told An Phoblacht that "loyalist attacks will continue to increase until unionist politicians and church leaders start speaking out against such sectarianism".