Lurgan: Mother says son still ‘petrified’ after sectarian attack

A young mother victim of sectarian abuse said her son was still “petrified” by the attack.

It happened at her home in Lurgan, County Armagh and was captured on the victim’s doorbell camera in April 2023.

Two brothers have been sentenced after they were caught on camera trying to force open the front door while one of them shouted sectarian abuse.

Adrian Douglas, 35, of Carrick Drive in Lurgan, County Armagh, was sentenced to 10 months in prison.

Alister Douglas, 38, of Charles Baron Gardens, was given a 12-month suspended prison sentence.

Adrian Douglas will spend a further 10 months as a licensee after serving his prison sentence.

Danielle Skelton, who was home alone with her son at the time of the incident in 2023, said he remains severely affected.

“He won’t sleep in his own room,” she told BBC News NI. “Every time there’s a slight bang or the door opens, he jumps from side to side.

“He’s still petrified,” she added.

Ms Skelton told BBC News NI she would have preferred both men to have received a custodial sentence.

Warning: The report contains language that some readers may find offensive

She lives in a new property with her now three-year-old son, but said she is still afraid of staying alone in her house.

“The cameras are the only thing that supports me.”

Ms Skelton said she was advised by police to leave the property.

The 999 call she made was played out in court during the trial and the judge said her desperation was “palpable”.

She explained that she had moved to a predominantly Protestant area of ​​Lurgan after being offered social housing.

The court heard the brothers had watched a Rangers v Celtic football match before going to Ms Skelton’s home on April 30 last year and that the incident had been fueled by alcohol.

Announcing the sentence, Patrick Lynch KC said: “Sectarianism has plagued our community for centuries and it is a tragedy that atavistic hatred continues to arise, such as in this case the raw emotion of defeat in a Scottish football match, fueled by alcohol , appears.”

“It must be made clear that the courts will impose severe sentences to emphasize that such displays of hostility through violence, threats of violence or other methods of intimidation will not be tolerated.”

The video was shared widely on social media and shows the two men banging on the front door and shouting sectarian insults.

The men shouted “Fenian” and “Taig”, derogatory terms referring to Catholics, and banged and kicked at the door.

Although a female family member repeatedly told Adrian Douglas that his children, nieces and nephews were watching him, he continued to knock on the door.

When Alister Douglas discovered the doorbell camera, he tried to detach it from the door frame.

Adrian Douglas admitted charges of intimidation, while Alister Douglas admitted aiding and abetting his brother.

In her victim impact statement, Ms Skelton said her life had been affected in a number of ways.

She said the move was stressful and then felt unsafe and was forced to move out.

“I still have high levels of stress and anxiety,” she wrote.

“I am terrified of leaving my current home… I have a heart condition that is made worse by stress and anxiety.”

“My son is affected, he cannot sleep in his own bedroom and is frightened by loud noises.”

In a statement on Thursday, Northern Ireland Police Inspector Brendan Green said it was “encouraging to see that a custodial sentence has been imposed” and he hoped it “sends a clear message to anyone who believes in sectarianism or intimidation in any form.” OK”.

“From the outset, this attack was viewed as a sectarian hate crime and was treated with the utmost seriousness,” he added.

“We believe everyone has the right to feel safe in their home and we will continue to make every effort to ensure this happens, future incidents are prevented and offenders are held accountable in court.”

He said he commended Ms Skelton for her “bravery and tenacity in pursuing her case through the criminal justice system” and hoped that “today’s outcome provides her with some closure to what will undoubtedly be a difficult and challenging time”.