Stabbing Follows Community Event

An event that was aimed at giving an Ulster welcome to the many foreign nationals now living and working in the Province turned sour at the weekend.

The community relations event for foreign nationals in Dungiven, Co Londonderry – which was to help them with information on a range of issues - was successful, but marred later in a serious stabbing incident.

Dungiven Councillor, Anne Brolly said the stabbing of a Polish man during a fight involving up to 30 people at a pub in the town on Saturday night was premeditated.

The victim - who is in his mid-20s- is in a serious but stable condition in hospital.

Another man - also believed to be Polish - was stabbed and Anne Brolly said other foreign nationals were behind the attack.

The second man is believed to have suffered a minor stab wound to his upper thigh and cuts to his back during the incident. He was treated in hospital for his injuries and subsequently discharged.

"During this party we had a group of people from outside the borough, Latvians I believe and Romanians, who came and in a premeditated attack - it had to premeditated because they came with knives - pulled knives on the people in the party.

"In all my time in Dungiven I never knew anybody to pull a knife on somebody else. There have been fights and rows of all kinds, but this is something that is very disturbing and worrying to the people of the town," she said.

Deputy Mayor of Limavady Borough Council, Brenda Chivers said she was shocked and disappointed by the incident which she said heaped further worry on the people of the area in the weeks running up to Christmas.

"It's hard to believe that something like this has happened," she said.

"I know no-one was killed but it could very easily have resulted in a death. Limavady has had nothing but bad news and tragedy in the last six months and I'm not sure what can be done to change that."

Mrs Chivers continued: "These kinds of incidents affect everyone in the borough, especially as it is coming up to Christmas and people want to be able to go out and enjoy themselves without having to worry about being caught up in some kind of disturbance.

"I appeal for anyone with information to come forward," she said.

There have been growing numbers of incidents involving rival immigrants across Northern Ireland, including a case in Dungannon, Co Tyrone, where foreign nationals charged with the murder of another have themselves been targeted by friends of the man they allegedly killed.

Friends of a deceased Dungannon foreign national are said to be plotting to kill the two Lithuanians accused of beating the victim to death.

The news was revealed last month during a failed bail application at Belfast High Court.

See: Murder Suspects Are Themselves Under Threat



(BMcC)