Victim of horrific hatchet attack in Derry seeks answers

Áron Thornton has been left with multiple injuries to his limbs that have required over 200 stitches following the assault by a masked gang in the Stoneburn Place area of the Curryneirin estate in the early hours of August 15. He will not be able to walk again for several months.

The 33-year-old had gone with his girlfriend to collect her sister who was with other young people at a play park near the bonfire on the estate when four masked men approached them at around 1.50am. Two of the men followed Áron to an alleyway before producing hatchets and hammers and taking turns at hacking at his legs, while two others detained those in the park, including his partner, who didn’t initially see what was happening.

The Derry man was rendered unconscious in the attack which lasted around 20 minutes. Local residents and his girlfriend, who witnessed the aftermath, had to raise the alarm to get him help afterwards.

Speaking from his hospital bed in Altnagelvin, he said: “They nearly chopped my leg off. It was nearly severed and was left hanging. So was my arm. I have 20 stitches and two screws in my arm. My fingers are also damaged.

“They were taking it in turns whacking me with these hatchets. It was very vicious. Neighbours were roaring and shouting at them. Then I went unconscious. My girlfriend is traumatised.”

Áron has since undergone six operations at hospitals in Belfast and Derry, including having to get a large chunk of his calf removed and skin grafts, and will undergo further surgery this week.

He sustained a broken leg, broken ankle, and severe cuts and damage to his legs and arms. He has 100 stitches in his right leg alone as well as two pins and five screws, while his left leg is in a brace to keep the bones together. He also has a broken left hand, and two smashed fingers with plate and pins on the same arm.

Áron said he did not know the reasons behind the attack. “I have been away since 2008, I have lived in Jersey and in Liverpool for the past ten years. I’m just back here looking after my sick mother. She has undergone major surgery and I have been looking after her,” he said.

“We had been in lockdown from Friday, March 13. I took her to a hospital appointment to get her a hearing aid and after that I ended up staying then to look after her. My mother needs me here. She had a double stroke last year. She is basically housebound on her own with only visits from carers.”

He said his mother was actually in hospital the night he was brought in, but she was only told a few days ago what happened.

“We’ve had no answer back as to who this is or why it happened. It will be months before I am able to walk again, there is lasting damage, and now I can’t care for my mother. She’s heartbroken this has happened.

“I just want to get to the bottom of this, which group it was and why it has happened, and am I going to be okay now? I just want answers.”

Meanwhile detectives have issued an appeal for information and witnesses following the brutal assault.

Detective Inspector Adrian Burns has appealed to anyone who witnessed this incident or anyone who has information to contact detectives at Strand Road on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 328 15/08/20, or submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/.

Alternatively, people can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/