Loyalist thugs tried to murder us: petrol-bomb victims

Loyalist thugs who petrol-bombed a Catholic family’s home overnight were trying to murder them, the victims claimed today.

Frank and Maureen Burleigh were trapped in their house at Linn Road in Larne, Co Antrim, after the device ignited in the downstairs hall while they slept.

Their son Michael, 20, jumped from a window after being woken by a smoke alarm and tried to kick in the front door, but was beaten back by the flames.

The couple only escaped after climbing through a roof on to a porch where firefighters rescued them.

As he recovered at his daughter’s home nearby, Mr Burleigh 57, said today: “These people were aiming to kill.

“The flames were halfway up the stairs and the smoke was so thick you couldn’t see anything.

“It’s just naked sectarianism and they pick on a family of Catholics until they drive them out.

“I never want to go through that again. It was terrifying.”

The self-employed farm fence builder, who recently had a hip replacement, and his wife were forced to wait in their nightwear until fire crews arrived and brought them to safety.

Mr Burleigh only moved into the house in a staunchly Loyalist area of the town after they were intimidated out of their previous home in the nearby Craigyhill Estate.

But in a frightening escalation in the campaign against them a brick was smashed through a downstairs window and a petrol bomb hurled in at around 1.30am.

All three victims were treated at the scene for smoke inhalation as the flames were extinguished.

The front porch of the house was badly burnt in the fire with extensive smoke damage throughout the inside.

“The house is not liveable in, it’s not worth going back to,” Mr Burleigh added.

Divisional fire officer Brian Marley said the family had a lucky escape.

“They were at the first floor window of the property so the brigade used ladders and assisted them to safety,” he said.

“My understanding is the smoke alarm they had in the property activated and alerted them to the fire.”

Danny O’Connor, SDLP Assembly member for Larne, said the bombers realised their victims would be trapped.

He said: “They knew full well that the family would be in bed asleep and they tried to burn the stairs which would be their only escape route.

“Anybody who looks at this as anything other than attempted murder needs their head examined.”