Masked gang tries to set pensioner on fire in Co Armagh house raid

By David Young, PA

Police are treating as attempted murder an attack on a pensioner who was beaten with bats and had accelerant poured on him as his house was set alight.

Six masked men armed with bats carried out the assault inside the man’s home in Keady, Co Armagh, on Thursday evening.

They entered the living room of the home on the Clay Road at around 7:35pm.

The gang attacked the man, who is aged in his 70s, and continued to strike him with the bats as he lay on the floor.

One of the assailants ransacked the upstairs of the house while the attack was ongoing.

The men then poured accelerant over the pensioner and around his home before starting a fire.

The victim managed to run past his attackers and out of the burning building, where he was then attacked with bats again in the yard of the property.

The suspects are believed to have made their escape in a dark-coloured vehicle, possibly an estate car.

The man, who sustained a range of injuries, managed to make his way to the roadside and raise the alarm with a passing member of the public.

Firefighters attended the scene but the victim’s house and vehicle were destroyed in the blaze.

In a statement, the PSNI 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.”

Officers urged anyone with CCTV, doorbell or dashcam footage from the Keady area on Thursday evening to contact them.