A WEST Belfast councillor has described as “cowardly” an early hours attack on a property in the upper Glen Road. Karen Clarke’s ground floor apartment in Spruce Hill was attacked in the early hours of Monday 16 November..
Karen told the Andersonstown News how she has lived at her property for over 20 years and that nothing like this had ever happened before.
“This was deliberate, this was a deliberate attack on me,” she said. “I had a CCTV camera installed and you can clearly see somebody running up in a hoodie and balaclava to the apartment and throwing a glass bottle at the double glazed windows.
"I had been away and came back Monday afternoon and there was glass everywhere,” she said.
Karen said she felt “physically sick” by the attack.
“This has upset me, and my family. I’ve worked voluntary in this community for years. I work for the Trust, with vulnerable families and on Monday I was trying to draft up plans for families to see their parents for Christmas and all that has been delayed due to this, this attack just hasn’t impacted me.”
'DELIBERATE": Damage to the house after the attack
Karen described the attack on her home as “hateful”.
“You can clearly see this person on the CCTV, it shows that I was purely singled out for some reason.”
Councillor Arder Carson said the attack on Karen’s home was “despicable and unjustifiable”.
“This type of intimidation has to be condemned and called out for what it is, it will achieve nothing.
“Everyone is entitled to live in peace and safety in their own home and I will continue to support residents in this aim.”
A spokesperson for the PSNI said they are appealing for information following the report of criminal damage.
“It was reported that at 1:30am on Monday November 16 windows were smashed at a property in this vicinity. We would ask that anyone with information contact 101 quoting reference number 843 16/11/20.”
