Murder victim’s family threatened
Death threats have been issued against two sons of Coleraine murder victim Kevin McDaid.
The family were informed by police of the threat from loyalists on Friday night.
Mr McDaid – a Catholic community worker and father-of-four – was killed by a loyalist mob near his Somerset Drive home in May.
Since then tensions have been high in the town. A total of 27 people have received death threats and 46-year-old Damian Fleming – who sustained serious injuries in the attack which claimed Mr McDaid’s life – has since been attacked for a second time.
Mr McDaid’s twin sons Mark and Ryan, both 23, have now been told their lives are under threat. Police visited their Somerset Drive home, where they live with their mother, to tell them that a group called the Loyalist People of Coleraine was responsible.
Mark and Ryan said they cannot speak out because they fear it will jeopardise their father’s murder case.
‘Permanent intimidation’
Local Sinn Fein councillor Billy Leonard said it is widely believed in the community that the threats are a bid to intimidate witnesses.
He said: “The McDaid family have been to hell and back again over these last few months.”
“Another person in a nearby street described it to me as a community under permanent intimidation. When people are speaking in those terms, it is a dreadful commentary.” he added, “It obviously indicates that it must stop and Coleraine has to move forward.”
Ulster Unionist MLA for East Londonderry David McClarty said a small minority of people were responsible for the trouble.
He said: “I can tell that there are individuals from both sides of the community – a small number – who are blighting the lives of the vast majority of people in the Killowen area who are decent law-abiding people who want to be left in peace.
“I would appeal to those responsible to leave people to enjoy their lives.”
A total of 11 people have been charged in connection with Mr McDaid’s murder.
