Northern Ireland kneecapping victim 'shot four times'

  • 28 January 2010
  • From the section Politics
A Republican mural painted on a wall in Londonderry, Northern Ireland




"They pulled out a gun and pushed me down," he said. "One punched me in the face, and someone knelt on my back. I was kicking my legs and they told me to stop or it would be worse. They shot me four times."



"I was shot in the shin, thigh, ankle and calf. I was in shock but shouted to my girlfriend, 'Call an ambulance'. Then I passed out."


It's believed a rebel republican group called Oglaigh na hEireann was responsible for the attack.

It's a splinter group from the Real IRA, thought to be behind the bomb which was placed under a policeman's car earlier this month.

His family say no one's ever been charged over the attack and criticised the police for not doing enough to help them.

Shootings rise

The police say they're working with local communities to prevent paramilitary-style attacks and have had significant success at stopping them.

David's mum said the police needed to do more: "A majority of people in the local area are in these dissident groups or supporting them. The police need to stop it from happening."

Mural in Northern Ireland
After falling, punishment shootings rose in Northern Ireland last year




They viewed it as being largely Protestant and felt that the Catholic community was unfairly targeted, a feeling that's exploited by the paramilitaries.







"A number of the shootings that have taken place over the last year have been done in a very haphazard manner," he said.

"They're unprofessional with what they're doing. There's been a number of these punishment shootings where the intention has been to shoot someone in the knees. On one occasion a person was shot in the shoulder."


"There are beatings, and then kneecappings," he said. "Then there's what they refer to in a very sadistic way as a six-pack. Somebody shot in the elbows, knees and the ankles."


He says he negotiates with them to stop them taking place.


'I don't feel safe'


It happened to this man, who again, didn't want to be identified.



He's planning to leave the area, even though that means leaving his family behind.

"I'm still scared," he admitted. "For a long time I couldn't leave the house. Now I'm starting to go out more but I'm nervous. I don't trust anyone."

His mum told Newsbeat she was also trying to move house but couldn't find a new home.


"We've all gone through the whole process of nightmares, medication, counselling," she said.

"It's something that's never going to end. I don't feel safe. I don't think anyone feels safe."