Northern Ireland

Police brand Co Antrim assault `absolutely barbaric'

An attack in Co Antrim which left a man in his 20s with a number of fractures, puncture wounds to his arms and legs and a collapsed lung bore "all the hallmarks of a paramilitary style assault" police have said
An attack in Co Antrim which left a man in his 20s with a number of fractures, puncture wounds to his arms and legs and a collapsed lung bore "all the hallmarks of a paramilitary style assault" police have said An attack in Co Antrim which left a man in his 20s with a number of fractures, puncture wounds to his arms and legs and a collapsed lung bore "all the hallmarks of a paramilitary style assault" police have said

AN attack in Co Antrim which left a man in his 20s with a number of fractures, puncture wounds to his arms and legs and a collapsed lung bore "all the hallmarks of a paramilitary style assault", police have said.

The victim was attacked just before midnight yesterday after a gang of up to six masked men, who were armed with sledgehammers and other items, entered a house in the Lisheegan Road area of Rasharkin.

The occupant, a man aged in his 20s, suffered a catalogue of injuries including a number of fractures and puncture wounds to his arms and legs and a collapsed lung.

He currently remains in hospital where he is receiving treatment.

A woman in her 50s, who was also in the house at the time, was held down on the floor by the intruders throughout the attack and was left with bruising to her face.

A PSNI spokesman described the assault as "absolutely barbaric". He said a young man had been left in hospital "with horrendous injuries".

"The physical injuries will hopefully heal with time but this incident will likely affect both victims for a very long time," he said.

"There is no place in our society for such attacks and we are now working to establish a motive and to find those responsible".

Anyone with information about the attack is asked to contact police on 101.