Shotgun attack: Horror scars of the latest victim of paramilitary violence
HORRIFYING photos, which have been shared widely on social media, show the injuries sustained by a man shot in the head in Coleraine last week. Paul Fleming (36) was lucky to escape with his life after he was blasted on his doorstep in a savage shotgun attack. He was released from hospital yesterday. Police said their investigation into the shooting is ongoing. Mr Fleming’s mother claimed it happened because he was a Celtic fan.
PHOTOS emerged last night of the injuries inflicted on Paul Fleming, the innocent victim of violence blasted on his doorstep in a savage shotgun attack in Coleraine last week.
Mr Fleming (36), who was rushed to hospital fighting for his life, was discharged from the Ulster Hospital yesterday, the South East Health Trust confirmed last night.
The horrifying photos– shared widely on social media – of Mr Fleming’s head injuries were passed to the Belfast Telegraph by someone concerned about his wellbeing and angry at the criminals responsible.
Mr Fleming’s mother blamed loyalists in the north coast town for the attack on her son claiming it happened because he is a Celtic supporter.
A police spokesperson told the Belfast Telegraph last night that the investigation into Mr Fleming’s shooting is “ongoing”.
Speaking to the Sunday World at the weekend, his mother Wendy said: “The UDA tried to kill my son because he supports Celtic.
“That’s the only reason we can think of.
“That’s all he’s into — Celtic and taking a drink.
“Loyalists have targeted him before so this isn’t the first time.
“He used to live with me and the house was attacked with a petrol bomb and the windows were put in,” she said.
“Celtic is his life and he got himself into rows on Facebook but that’s all it was.”
She added: “I fear they’ll be back to kill my Paul. I only have two kids and people always slag Paul because he’s a mammy’s boy. We are both Celtic season ticket holders and we go over to the games regularly together.
“I know he had a bit of a row with a fella who shouted at Paul that he was going to get him shot — but we don’t know if that had anything to do with this. I could easily have been burying my son this week. The people who did this are nothing but cowards.”
Mr Fleming’s partner Danielle told the newspaper she thought it was clear the attackers were trying to murder Paul
“Paul was shot in the head. He was shot deliberately in the head.
“Look at the height the bullet went through the glass. “They were aiming at his head. “They wanted to kill him. “He was blasted with such force he was lifted up in the air and sent flying into his bedroom.”
She added: “They fired another shot at him as he lay bleeding — but thankfully they missed.”
Danielle — who is pregnant with the couple’s child and is due to give birth in April — says she fears that the people who targeted Paul may come for her next.
“Now I’m genuinely fearful they’ll come back and kill him or attack me too,” she told the Sunday World.
PSNI Superintendent Ian Magee told the newspaper the shotgun attack on the Celtic fan was “another horrible attack, a totally reckless shooting”.
“We have people coming under the cover of darkness, in the shadows of the night, criminals coming and shooting into people’s houses,” the policeman said.
“As a result of that we have people in a residential area, families, older people, and they are rightly shocked and frightened about what has happened.
“I need information to come in from the community to help me to rid it of this scourge,” Supt Mcgee said.
Police have recovered two firearms in the Coleraine area which they believe were used in both Paul’s shooting and the shooting of another local woman, Sally Cummins.
However, no arrests have yet been made in connections with either of these two shootings.
‘I fear they will come back to kill my Paul’