Pledge support to help catch thugs who beat Tom
Reward planned as 73-yr-old left fighting for life after raid
FURIOUS locals are offering a reward for information leading to the arrest of the heartless attackers of a pensioner.
And dozens of well-wishers have sent prayer messages, Mass cards, and religious medals to the intensive care room where the retired farmer is being treated.
Tom Niland, 73, is in a coma, battling for survival on a ventilator, in Sligo University Hospital following the crime
During a recent community meeting, organised searches were discussed and a financial reward was also mentioned.
His cousin Michael Walsh said: “The guards don’t want people to go to some places at the moment in case they have to re-visit those areas.
“I welcome a reward, but the guards want it to be controlled because, if you offer money, you don’t know who’s going to come forward or what information they’d give you.
“There would have to be conditions, but we do want people to come forward.”
Tom was watching TV at home in rural Skreen, Co Sligo, on January 18 when three masked thugs burst in around 7pm. They stole a few hundred euro, and left him for dead – sparking an ongoing Garda manhunt.
Mr Walsh has kept a daily vigil by his bed and revealed he has read the cards that have come from across Ireland.
He also revealed that Mr Niland may have been targeted for attack after withdrawing money from the credit union.
Mr Walsh said: “We weren’t aware that he had a credit union account, maybe he was targeted.
“They may have spotted him there and followed him. They were obviously ready to do what they did.
“They arrived with the masks on. And all for a couple of hundred euro. It could be €600, €700, €800. We don’t know.” He said people have been left “shocked” and “terrified” by the attack.
He also stated his own fears that there is “no real hope” for Mr Niland.
Mr Walsh added: “We feel helpless, but that’s the situation that we’ve been put in. Tom’s condition is fluctuating. There’s no real hope at the moment.
“People have been calling and texting the family with kind words, prayers, Mass cards and when I was in hospital, I saw a stack of cards from people from all over the country.
“I’d like to thank them, it means an awful lot. We read the cards out to him,
MICHAEL WALSH but we don’t know if he can hear us. People have also sent medals and other religious objects, which we place beside his bed.
“People from all over have been offering to search the area. They want to help.
“Anyone who knows Tom are in an awful state, but even people who don’t know Tom also want to do something to help.”
Mr Walsh also slammed the thieves who he called “predators on society”.
He said the violence inflicted on Mr Niland, such as jumping on his head to make it swell to a “grotesque” double size and put him on the “brink of death” made him sick.
Mr Walsh added: “How did they think they would not kill him with that brutality?
“He was immediately hit in the face and it continued and continued.
“He went down and it continued. When they disabled him, they still continued. You would not do it to an animal.
“It was a frenzied attack, absolutely disgusting what they did to poor Tom.”
People from all over have been offering to search the area
ON HUNT FOR ATTACKERS