Schoolgirl has broken neck after car attack murder bid
A SCHOOLGIRL suffered a broken neck after a car ploughed into her and four friends during a botched murder attempt.
Roisin Walker, 14, was mown down by a silver Vauxhall Astra which mounted the pavement outside shops in the Castlemilk area of Glasgow.
Initially, the car hit a 21-year-old man – believed by police to have been the intended victim – before it carried him into the youngsters, all between the ages of 12 to 14.
Witnesses described how the vehicle then smashed into the side of a Volkswagen car before reversing back into Roisin, hitting her a second time, and speeding away.
The alarm was raised when four of her friends ran into a newsagent’s yelling ‘they are trying to kill us’, according to a shopkeeper. Police – who are treating the incident at around 3.30pm on Saturday as attempted murder – have launched a hunt for the driver.
Forensics investigations are being carried out on the burnt-out shell of the Astra, which was later found abandoned a mile away in Carmunnock, Lanarkshire.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Detective Chief Inspector Craig Willison said: ‘There was a 21-year-old male who we believe was the intended target.
‘The car struck the 21-year-old and simultaneously took him into the crowd of children.
‘It then came to rest by crashing into another car. It thereafter reversed and made off.’
Roisin was initially treated at Hairmyres Hospital, in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, but later transferred to Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, where her condition was described last night as serious but stable. Her four friends – two girls aged 12 and 14 and two boys aged 12 and 13 – were treated for minor injuries by paramedics.
Yesterday, Roisin’s sister Jamieleigh told BBC Scotland: ‘They drove away without even getting out to see if she was OK.
‘One of her wee friends said she pushed her out of the way of the
‘They were not the intended victims’
car, so she’s taken the brunt of the car.’ She added: ‘She was in a bad state when we found her.
‘It was hard for me to see her in that much pain. She’s still in a lot of pain… but she’s powering through it. She’s been so brave.
‘It’s ridiculous what they’ve done. It’s disgraceful whether it was intended for kids or not. I don’t know how they can live with it.’ Roisin’s mother, Trisha McGonigal, 42, was yesterday said to be at her bedside but did not wish to comment.
Police said it was too early to confirm the motive for the attack but officers are ‘keeping an open mind’ as to whether the incident was related to a mass brawl in the area last July in which 22-year-old Jamie Lee was shot and killed.
Police are still hunting for 23year-old suspect Jordan Owen, who is reported to have fled the country in the wake of the attack.
Superintendent John McBride said: ‘I am aware that there was a previous incident in Castlemilk. I am confident that at the end of the investigation we will catch the individual responsible for this.
‘It’s at the early stages of the investigation and we will keep an open mind.’ Detectives are examining CCTV footage from shops in the area and analysing samples taken from the scene.
Mr McBride said: ‘While the children getting hit with the car is a dreadful incident, it’s quite clear they themselves were not the intended victims and have been caught up round about that.
‘This case is our number one priority and we will have a significant policing present around that area. It is important for us to pull together as much information as possible so as quickly as possible we can identify the driver of the vehicle and apprehend him.’
He added: ‘I believe the answer to this lies with the children that were there at the time, other people in the area and the wider community.’
It was also revealed yesterday the unnamed initial target of the attack, who suffered minor injuries, has been offered police protection over fears he may be targeted again.
Detective Inspector Peter Sharp said it was ‘imperative’ to find whoever was responsible. They had shown ‘total disregard for the safety of the public’.