PSNI DETECTIVES are treating as attempted murder an attack on a man in Coleraine, Co Derry.
The man was attacked in the Harpur’s Hill area of Coleraine shortly before 8pm on Saturday and resulted from “loyalist in-fighting”, according to Sinn Féin.
In Coleraine last Sunday week, a loyalist mob murdered Catholic community worker Kevin McDaid, who is being buried in Coleraine today.
Police however, are not making any connection between the murder and Saturday’s incident and do not believe that the attack on the 40-year-old man, who is in a serious condition in hospital, was sectarian.
Two men have been arrested.
Local Sinn Féin councillor Billy Leonard said his information was that the attack was related to loyalist in-fighting in Coleraine.
“It is yet another example of violent loyalism setting the agenda around Coleraine,” he said. “Surely this area needs something better than yet another attempted murder charge.
“Another family from this area had their home windows broken on Saturday night and if the motivation was sectarian we really must particularly work to extract this cancerous growth in the town.”
Police are also treating as attempted murder an attack on a man in his 20s in Downpatrick, Co Down, on Saturday night.
The man was assaulted following an altercation with three men at Market Street, according to police.
He was stabbed several times with a broken bottle and, possibly, a knife at about 8pm, police said. He was wounded in his stomach and hip.
His attackers ran off when his girlfriend intervened. The man is in a serious but stable condition in hospital.
