A cousin of murdered Portadown man Mr Robert Hamill has rejected prosecution claims that police had tried to help them when they were attacked by loyalists in the town in April 1997.
Claims that two RUC officers went to help him were made by Mr Gordon Kerr QC, prosecuting, as he outlined the case against Mr Paul Hobson (21), from Deer Park, Portadown, Co Armagh. He denies the murder of Mr Hamill (25), a father of two, who died 11 days after the attack. Mr Hamill's cousin, Ms Siobh an Girvan, rejected the prosecution claim and told Belfast Crown Court sitting in Armagh that her plea for help from police fell on deaf ears. Ms Girvan said that after a crowd which "came from nowhere" attacked her brother Gregory and cousin Robert, she ran to a nearby RUC LandRover. She told Lord Justice McCollum she called on police officers inside, "will you get out and help us?", but got no answer.
"I ran back to our Robert," Ms Girvan said. When the crowd of about 20 to 30 struck, she "just stood screaming".
Ms Girvan also claimed that as her cousin was being kicked about the head as he lay on the ground, two or three of the crowd shouted at him, "die, you bastard".
Ms Girvan's sister-in-law, Ms Joanne Girvan, also wept as she told the court how she tried to shield her husband, Mr Gregory Girvan, after he and Mr Hamill were knocked to the ground. "It seemed like a split second to me. One minute we were walking, then they were down and next we were in the ambulance," she said. Mr Girvan said all he could remember was seeing a crowd and waking up in hospital afterwards.
Earlier Mr Kerr said Mr Hamill, who was awaiting the birth of his third child, was the victim of a "violent and unprovoked sectarian attack" in the Thomas Street-Market Street area of Portadown.
He and members of his family were walking home after an evening out at St Patrick's Hall when they were set upon by a group of about 20 or 30 who shouted, "get the Fenian bastards" and punched and kicked Mr Hamill and Mr Gir van to the ground. Mr Kerr also claimed that as Mr Hamill was kicked about the head, shoulders and back, someone shouted - "die, you bastard" and "kill him, kill him".
Mr Kerr said two policemen had tried to help Mr Hamill, but one became involved in a scuffle as he tried to hold the crowd back, while a second, who had already rescued one man, "got distracted by crowd control".
The trial continues.