The home of a Catholic community worker beaten to death by a loyalist mob was targeted in a sectarian attack early today, it was revealed tonight.
SDLP Assembly member John Dallat said he had been told by police that the home of Kevin McDaid was one of two in the Heights area of Coleraine, Co Derry, that was targeted in the early hours.
Ten people have been charged over Mr McDaid’s killing in May — six with the actual murder — and nationalist politicians claim there has been a continuing campaign by loyalists to intimidate witnesses.
Mr Dallat said: “This year has seen a litany of sectarian attacks in Coleraine, with the murder of Kevin McDaid being the most notorious and most sickening.
“Now we hear the disgusting news that two homes in the Heights area, one of which was that belonging to the McDaid family, have been targeted by bottle wielding thugs.”
He said the people of Coleraine could do without “a systematic and sustained campaign of terror and intimidation being waged on the Catholic community in this part of the north-west.”
Such behaviour was intolerable in a civilised society, he added.
Sinn Fein Coleraine councillor Billy Leonard demanded an end to the intimidation.
He said: “In both cases they arrived by car and they knew exactly the homes they wanted to hit.
“There are young children in these houses and they have obviously been frightened by the incidents.”
Mr McDaid was murdered and Damien Fleming critically injured and left in a coma when loyalists stormed the mainly Catholic Heights area after Rangers beat Celtic to the Scottish Premier League football title.
Mr Leonard said: “Kevin McDaid’s name has been cynically chanted by loyalists at the fringes of the Heights and Catholics have been subjected to verbal intimidation when simply in the town centre shopping.
“On some occasions witnesses to Kevin’s murder have been singled out.”
PA