Paul McCauley.
The Chief Constable of the PSNI has apologised to the family of a Derry man who remains in a coma eight years after being critically injured in a sectarian attack in the city.
George Hamilton was speaking at a public meeting held in Derry last night at which he was challenged by the father of Paul McCauley who was attacked an beaten by a gang of 15 people while attending a barbecue in the Chapel Road area of the Waterside area of the city in 2006 – he was aged 29 at the time.
The Independent Monitoring Commission later said the attack was carried out by UDA elements.
The attack left Paul requiring round-the-clock care and unable to communicate with his family, except by blinking his eyes occasionally.
To date, only one person has been convicted in connection with the attack.
Directly addressing the Chief Constable during a Q&A session at last night’s meeting, Paul’s father, James, said: “We feel this is one of one of the worst crimes committed in the city, yet eight years on there is no satisfactory outcome from the PSNI.”
PSNI Chief Constable George Hamilton.
In response, Mr Hamilton said: “It is a tragic, devastating story and I am sorry that not more people have not been brought have been brought to justice for the suffering that your son and your family have had to endure for the past eight years.”
During the meeting, Mr Hamilton condemned the bomb attack on a mobile police patrol in the city’s Creggan area on Sunday night. He also defended the follow-up operation during which police came under attack from youths throwing petrol bombs, stones and bottles.
Mr Hamilton is back in Derry today when he will attend the monthly meeting of the Policing Board.
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