A PENSIONER has been left with a broken jaw and damaged eye socket after a weekend which saw residents in west Belfast tormented again by violence and anti-social behaviour. Maureen Shepherd (76) had been returning home from the hairdresser's when she was attacked after she got off the bus on the Falls Road at 7.30pm on Friday.
After turning into an alleyway leading to Ardmoulin Avenue, she was set upon by a man aged 18 or 19, who knocked her to the ground and stole her Nokia mobile phone and some euro currency.
Ms Shepherd spent the weekend receiving treatment for a broken jaw and bruising in the Ulster Hospital.
In a catalogue of other crimes in the area, youths also smashed car windows, attempted to hijack vehicles and forced entry to homes.
Just a fortnight ago, 78-year-old Florence Slane suffered a fractured wrist and bruised shoulder after being attacked as she returned home from a pensioners' day out at Devenish Court off the Falls Road.
In December, The Irish News also reported on serious concerns about anti-social behaviour in the lower Falls area, with residents saying they felt like "prisoners in their own homes".
A delivery driver was also robbed as he lay unconscious after a brick was thrown at his car in Albert Street, leading to calls for the demolition of the notorious Ross Street flats.
A public meeting has now been called for Wednesday evening on Albert Street, outside the Maureen Sheehan centre.
Sinn Féin MLA Fra McCann condemned the attack on Ms Shepherd as "particularly vicious and cowardly".
"Those responsible need to be caught and removed from our streets before they seriously hurt anyone else. I am calling on anyone with any information about this horrific assault to bring it forward to the PSNI immediately."
Micheal Donnelly, from the Falls Community Council, and Vincent McElkerney, from the Falls Residents Association, said they plan to distribute safety leaflets in the area this week with advice and contact numbers.
Mr Donnelly said: "Maureen was left with a broken jaw and a damaged eye socket as well as other facial injuries. Unfortunately at this present time there is nothing that can be done due to health issues and Maureen’s age.
"There is a massive onus on the PSNI and other statutory partners to step up to the mark and aim to tackle this worrying trend of attacks on the vulnerable and elderly in our society."
Police said the man who attacked the pensioner is of thin build, about 5'11' tall and was wearing a grey hooded top and black coloured scarf over his face.
Dreadful street attack on 76 yr old lady in West Belfast. Help us catch the criminal responsible. Info please on 101 https://t.co/iJRsbqiRj2
— Stephen Martin (@ACCMartinPSNI) January 30, 2016
Three residents groups posted reports of other incidents of anti-social behaviour in the Falls Road area over the weekend.
St James Residents Collective said a house was broken into in St James Road, while Beechmount Residents Collective said two men had attempted to gain entry to a house in Beechmount Parade.
In Cavendish Street, residents awoke on Sunday morning to find windows of several cars smashed.
Rockmore Residents Collective reported that youths had attempted to hijack a motorist in Clondara Parade, and items were stolen from a house in Clonard.
One resident wrote: "Depressing when you don't feel safe in your own area any more, it's the same everywhere.
"Whatever happened to the word called respect. Wish our young people could learn to have a good night and just go home, also we do have some great young people out there trying their best."
Gerard Fitzpatrick, organiser of the rally planned for Wednesday, said he was putting together a pensioners' safety kit, consisting of a personal alarm and a door safety lock.
He said: "We must make a united stand against these anti-community elements who do nothing but pick on the old and vulnerable within society."
Meanwhile, elsewhere in west Belfast, a car was found burnt out at the Poleglass roundabout on Saturday, while jewellery was stolen from a home in Stockman's Park between 4pm and 9.30pm on Friday.
