A son of traditional Irish musician Francis McPeake told a jury yesterday that a crowd who gathered outside his parents' home in the Markets area of Belfast should be "ashamed of themselves".
Revealing that his four young children were in the Eliza Street Close house when it was attacked in September 2013, Francis McPeake Jnr said some of the crowd also surrounded a car which was taking them to safety.
Two woman from the Markets area are standing trial on charges linked to the intimidation from his home of Mr McPeake Snr.
A large "mob" gathered outside the house following newspaper reports that the musician was facing sex abuse charges.
He was acquitted of all charges in September last year.
Eileen Murdock (48), from Eliza Street Close, and Danielle Whyte (29), from Stewart Street, deny intimidating Francis McPeake to leave his home by force, threats or menaces between September 13 and 16 2013.
Whyte faces an additional charge of intimidating Eugene Pinkey Snr - Mr McPeake's brother-in-law and neighbour - to leave his home.
Prosecuting barrister Michael Chambers told Belfast Crown Court: "Mr McPeake's house was attacked by a large mob, and we say these two ladies were part of that mob, and that crowd's intention was to move him from his place or residence. He did, in fact. He was taken away by police on the night this all happened."
At its height, an estimated 60 to 70 people gathered in the area, while the house was attacked with eggs, missiles and bottles.
Mr McPeake Jnr claimed that as his children were being driven away people started to "sarcastically" chant 'Save the children' and at one point some surrounded the car.
He claimed that both Danielle Whyte and Eileen Murdock were part of the crowd that were chanting.
Jonathan Connolly, representing Whyte, said she made that case that while she was on the street that night she didn't chant anything and "certainly did not surround a car with children in it".
Francis McPeake Snr's wife Sarah tearfully told the court that she will "never forget" that night, with the verbal abuse including threats to kill her husband and to burn her house down.
She said she noticed her neighbour Eileen Murdock was among the crowd and saw her kick her husband's car and call him a paedophile.
"My grandchildren won't come round to my house now because of the evil people in the street," she said.
Jonpaul Shields, representing Murdock, told Mrs McPeake that she was "confused" about events that night and that Murdock didn't shout any abuse or attack the car.
He said it was her case that she was on the street to remove a neighbour from the situation, who she brought her into her home.
The neighbour was 37-year-old Colleen McNally, who along with two other co-accused - Sarah Bruce (44) and her 50-year old partner Paul Quinn, from Stewart Street - pleaded guilty to intimidating Mr McPeake from his home.
Quinn also admitted a charge of damaging the window of a vehicle belonging to Mr McPeake, while McNally pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to the same vehicle.
At hearing.
