UNA VITA A PEZZI
Parla Damien Fleming, superstite dell’attacco settario a Coleraine
Una vita a brandelli, un puzzle da ricostruire a fatica.
Queste sono le prime impressioni leggendo le dichiarazioni rilasciate da Damien Fleming al Belfast Telegraph.
L’uomo, 46 anni, era rimasto ferito gravemente nel maggio scorso durante un attacco settario (responsabilità dell’UDA) durante il quale ha trovato la morte Kevin McDaid, accorso sul posto per soccorrerlo.
Dopo che la sua vita è rimasta appesa ad un filo per settimane a causa di gravi ferite alla testa, Fleming ha fatto ritorno nella sua casa dopo un mese di ricovero ospedaliero.
“Sono sempre molto spaventato, lo sono ogni istante”, ha detto Fleming.
“Continuo ad avere flashback di quella notte e soffro di gravi attacchi di panico. Devo circondarmi di persone per tutto il tempo perchè non riuscirei a fronteggiarli da solo. Non sto bene nemmeno fisicamente. Ho un costante suono nelle orecchie, è come un allarme per tutto il tempo e ho dei bruttissimi mal di testa, ma è il panico che mi assale”.
Damien Fleming non nasconde il timore di essere oggetto di nuovi tentativi di omicidio, soprattutto alla luce delle continue minacce indirizzate nei suoi confronti, così come nei confronti della famiglia McDaid, e degli abusi verbali anche quando solo cammina per strada. In un’occasione, mentre si trovava in compagnia della sorella, una banda di ragazzi si è rivolto loro esclamando ‘Feniani bastardi!’
Ma il PSNI sembra essergli di sostegno, oltre a fornire consigli su come aumentare la sicurezza della propria abitazione.
“Vorrei solo che tutto fosse passato e voglio essere in grado di vivere la mia vita in pace”.
Proprio oggi è stata data notizia di un nuovo arresto nell’ambito delle indagini sull’omicidio McDaid. Si tratta di un ragazzo di 20 anni arrestato questa mattina a Coleraine.
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(video risalente ad alcuni giorni dopo l’attacco)
I’m afraid I’ll be attacked again, says victim who was left for dead (Belfast Telegraph)
The man who was left for dead following a sickening sectarian attack during which Catholic cross-community worker Kevin McDaid was murdered has said he is still struggling to rebuild his life.
Damien Fleming told the Belfast Telegraph that even though the police have helped him secure his Coleraine home he still fears that he may be targeted again.
Mr Fleming said he is still suffering physically and psychologically after being beaten by a loyalist mob.
The 46-year-old was left critically ill with head injuries after he and Mr McDaid were picked at random by the mob who rampaged through the Heights estate after Rangers won the Scottish Premiership in May.
Mr McDaid, a father-of-four, was killed as he tried to help Mr Fleming, who was the first to be set upon by the gang who went into the area to pull down republican flags erected earlier in the evening.
Mr Fleming was in hospital for a month and since his release has been struggling to piece his life back together.
“I have been trying to settle back home this past month or so but it is very hard. I am always very frightened, every minute I am frightened,” Mr Fleming said.
“I keep having flashbacks of that night and suffer from very bad panic attacks. I have to keep people around me all the time as I just can’t cope on my own. Physically I am not that great either. I have a constant ringing in my ears, it is like an alarm all the time and I get very bad headaches, but it is the panic that gets me.
“I won’t go too far from my house on my own, and I prefer to stay this side of the (River) Bann. I’m just worried about who might go after me next.
“I have been getting a bit of abuse on the streets. I was out with my sister the other day and a group of lads started shouting ‘Fenian b******’ at me.
“I have been very lucky in that my sisters and my cousins spend so much time with me and look out for me. Without them I don’t know what I would do.”
Mr Fleming said death threats have been made to members of his family, Mr McDaid’s family and other witnesses in the case.
“A lot of death threats have been issued, and as I am a witness that makes me even more nervous.
“But I must say the police have been good. They have been about quite a bit and have been calling to see me.
“They helped me with advice on how to secure my doors and windows.
“I didn’t want any of this and neither did Kevin. I just wish it was all over, I want to be able to live my life in peace.”
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