A man in his 70s was beaten with bats, covered in accelerant and had his home set alight by a group of masked men in Co Armagh, in what police are treating as attempted murder.
The attack happened on Thursday evening in the Clay Road area of Keady.
Police say the elderly man, who remains in hospital, was subject to a “savage beating”.
“At around 7.35pm, it was reported that six masked men armed with bats entered the living room of the man’s home on the Clay Road,” a PSNI spokesperson said.
“The intruders proceeded to attack the man, who is aged in his 70s, with the bats, continuing the assault as he lay on the floor.”
One of the men ransacked the upstairs of the home while the attack was ongoing, police said.
“They then poured accelerant over him and around his home before sparking a fire,” the spokesperson said.
“The injured man managed to run past his attackers, out of the burning building, and make it outside where he was attacked with bats again in the yard of the property.”
The suspects are believed to have escaped in “a dark-coloured vehicle” which was “possibly an estate car”.
“The badly injured man then managed to make his way to the roadside and raise the alarm with a passing member of the public,” the spokesperson continued.
Police attended the scene, alongside the fire service, however they said that both the home and the injured man’s vehicle were destroyed by fire.
Detective Inspector Moffett said: “This was a terrible ordeal for this man who was subjected to a savage beating and has now lost his home. He remains in hospital at this time for treatment to a range of injuries.
“We have launched our investigation and we are increasing our anti-burglary patrolling, particularly in our border areas, however we do also need the public’s help to prevent these crimes and to identify the people responsible for this heinous crime.”
