Man injured in hammer attack by masked and armed gang

A man sustained a minor injury after being struck on the arm with a hammer while fighting off a masked and armed gang in Derry last night.
Attack.Attack.
Attack.

One line of inquiry is that it may have been a paramilitary-style assault, police have said, though it's not certain at this stage if this was the case.

Detective Inspector Michael Winters said: "It was reported to us shortly after 9.30pm that a number of masked men smashed the window of a house in the Derrymore area of Hazelbank. One of the men was reported to have had a firearm.

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“A man, aged in his twenties, who was inside the house at the time, was struck on the arm with what is believed to have been a hammer when he fought off the masked men, preventing them from entering the property. He sustained a minor injury but did not require hospital treatment.

“A woman who was also inside the house was uninjured.

“Our enquiries are at an early stage, however, one line of enquiry is this may have been a paramilitary style assault."

DI Winters appealed for information about the crime.

“This must have been a frightening ordeal for the occupants of the house and I want to appeal to anyone who was in the area at the time and saw a number of men acting suspiciously, or anyone who has information about this to get in touch with our detectives at Strand Road on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 2048 of 18/09/19."

"Alternatively, information can also be provided to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.”