Brick thrown at south Belfast house in sectarian hate crime

Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 20th April 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye

The scene on Walmer Street off the Ormeau Road in south Belfast where and overnight incident is being treated as sectarian hate crime by police. On Sunday evening a brick was thrown through the front window of the house with sectarian abuse being shouted. — Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 20th April 2015 Picture by Jonathan Porter / Press Eye The scene on Walmer Street off the Ormeau Road in south Belfast where and overnight incident is being treated as sectarian hate crime by police. On Sunday evening a brick was thrown through the front window of the house with sectarian abuse being shouted.

Mon 20 Apr 2015 at 15:04

A woman has escaped injury after a brick was thrown at a house in what police are treating as a sectarian hate crime.

It happened in the Walmer Street area of south Belfast on Sunday April 19.

It was reported just after 7.20 pm that a brick had been thrown through the front window of a house damaging a television in the front room.

Sectarian abuse was also shouted at the occupant, a woman in her late 30s who was uninjured as a result of the attack.

A man described as being in his 30s with short hair and stocky build was seen running away from the scene and making off in a silver/grey car in the direction of Hatpark Avenue.

Inspector David Gibson said: “Hate crime is unacceptable and I appeal to anyone with any information relating to this incident to please contact police at Lisburn Road on the non-emergency number 101 or alternatively contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.”

Alliance Belfast Councillor Paula Bradshaw condemned those behind the attack.

She said: "Attacks of any nature have no place in our society. We must build a shared Northern Ireland where there is tolerance of those from all backgrounds.

"I know this attack will be widely condemned by the South Belfast community and would like to offer my support to this woman after what must have been a traumatic experience.

"The people responsible must be urgently apprehended by the Police to face justice in the courts, so I would urge anybody with any information about this attack to contact the PSNI or Crimestoppers."