Thieves beat man over car keys

Car thieves brutally beat a man in his home near Belfast today after he refused to hand over the keys to his vehicle.

The victim suffered head and leg injuries in the latest violent attack by gangs trying to steal vehicles across the city.

Three men armed with a crowbar smashed their way into his house in Upper Green, Dunmurry at about 4.30am, police said.

After he resisted the culprits launched a vicious assault on him before stealing the vehicle, which was later recovered.

The beating is the latest in a spiralling series of attacks this week which has led to new demands for tough prison sentences to stamp out the menace.

Earlier this week a 21-year-old man was charged with attempted murder for hitting a Belfast man with a hammer as thieves tried to steal a car from his home.

Maurice McCracken, 54, is still in hospital with serious head injuries.

A 71-year-old priest in west Belfast was also punched and bitten by a thug who asked him to hear his confession before then taking his car on Friday.

And a teenager in Newtownards, Co Down was bludgeoned in another hammer attack by masked raiders who then escaped in his parents’ BMW with money and jewellery.

Edwin Poots, a Democratic Unionist Assembly member for the area of the latest attack, called on the courts to put the thieves behind bars for years.

He claimed: “These people are just laughing at the law. I’m aware of cases where they come to court, walk out and steal a car to get home.”

Mr Poots insisted a major crackdown would slash the number of violent attacks.

The Lagan Valley MLA said: “Car criminals need to be told: ’Three strikes and you’re out.

“If they don’t stop they should be jailed for 10 years. The message would soon get through and crime levels would be decimated with two years.”