Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Man charged with kill bid after break-in
Woman tied up and left in burning house
A MAN has been charged with attempted murder after a woman was tied up and left in a burning house last week.
The female, aged in her 50s, was saved by quick-thinking passers-by in Clough, Co Down, after she was bound by masked burglars.
Gemma and Grainne Rice were driving past the house at around 1pm last Monday when they noticed smoke.
Gemma said at the time: “We were driving home from a walk in Murlough with the dogs and I noticed the smoke and reversed down the road to the driveway. My sister called the emergency services outside while I ran in.
“It’s really just good luck we happened to be there as Grainne had the day off.”
Grainne, 25, added: “The house was ransacked and we knew something was really wrong.
“By the time I got back into the house Gemma and the woman were half way down the stairs, her legs were tied up and she shouted at me to get something to get the tie off her legs.”
Police confirmed yesterday they have charged a 35-year-old with attempted murder as well as “aggravated burglary with intent to steal, aggravated vehicle taking causing damage to vehicle, arson endangering life with intent and false imprisonment”.
Two other men – aged 27 and 30 – have also been charged with a number of offences including “aggravated burglary and stealing, false imprisonment, burglary, going equipped for burglary and handling stolen goods”. A PSNI spokesman said: “The charges are in connection with an aggravated burglary at a house on the Castlewellan Road area of Ballyward on Thursday night and three other burglaries which occurred at premises in Belfast, Downpatrick and Ardglass between February 20 and 23.”
All three are expected to appear before Downpatrick Magistrates Court today.