Family believe attack on home was sectarian

Police are treating the incident at Centuripe Avenue as a hate crime and the woman, who did not wish to be named, believed it was a sectarian attack as they are Catholics.

The woman (48) said her son (18) had been sitting near the window and had left to go upstairs just five minutes before the attack which happened after 10pm on Thursday.

She was wrapping a birthday present in the kitchen and said it was fortunate nobody was in the living room when the brick smashed through the window and blinds.

The woman said: “I believe the attack is because we are Catholics. But we keep ourselves to ourselves. We haven’t done anything and we have not annoyed anyone.

She added: “It has made us very concerned and we may have to consider our future here. My son is in a very bad state about it all. The people who did this are just low-lifes picking on a single woman and her young son.

“If the brick had hit him we could have been talking about attempted murder.

“I suffer from a number of health problems and this has made me very upset. I hardly slept all night,” she added.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Police are appealing for information in relation to a window being smashed in the area of Centuripe Avenue, Ballymena.

“This incident is being treated as a hate crime. It is believed that a brick was thrown through the window at around 10:15pm on February 16.

“If you were in the area and saw the incident, or noticed anyone acting suspiciously, contact police on 101, quoting reference CC2017021601314. Alternatively, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800555111 or online.”