Northern Ireland

Belfast man (22) tells of shock after homophobic note left on boyfriend's car during visit to Newcastle

The note was left on the windscreen of their car in Newcastle
The note was left on the windscreen of their car in Newcastle The note was left on the windscreen of their car in Newcastle

A young Belfast man has told of his shock after a homophobic note was left on the windscreen of his boyfriend's car during a visit to Newcastle.

Ciarán Mac Lochlainn (22) said he and his partner James were left angered after a message calling them "queer boys" was written on a piece of paper.

The couple had travelled to the Co Down seaside town on Saturday and enjoyed a walk in the Mourne Mountains to mark their first anniversary together.

But they later found a note on the car windscreen, which read: "Kissy kissy kissy. Queer boys. God's wrath will fall on you. Adam and Eve! Not Adam and Steve."

Mr Mac Lochlainn, a business studies student at Ulster University, said: "We had gone for a walk up the Mournes and on our way home we decided to get an ice cream.

"We went along a side street and got parked and we kissed for about two seconds and we said we loved each other.

"We got out of the car and walked round to get the ice cream and came back about 10 minutes later and saw something stuck in the car window wipers.

"At first, we thought it was a parking ticket. My boyfriend lifted it and read it and then scrunched it up. I asked him what it was and when I read it, I couldn't believe it.

"To be honest, I'm thick-skinned but what would possess someone to do that, I just don't understand it.

"They must have seen us kissing, which we were doing in our own space in the car before we got out to get the ice cream. But why would you go out of your way to write something like that and stick it on someone's car?"

Mr Mac Lochlainn said they plan to report it to police in the hope that it "highlights that such abuse can't happen".

"I suppose my initial reaction was why would someone do that," he said.

"But then when I thought about it, I was angered that someone had watched us and actually taken the time out of their day to write something like that and put it on the car while we were away.

"I've never experienced anything like this before.

"We are both 22 and of a generation that is more accepting, so for this to happen has shocked me.

"But I know it's just a minority and I'll continue to do my own thing."