McGuinness family caught up in 'diabolical' blast
Martin McGuinness’s niece and young family have been caught up in a bomb explosion in Derry.
Aisling Hutton’s three children were asleep when the device detonated across the street from their house in the Lecky Road area of the Brandywell.
Stormont’s Deputy First Minister said the youngsters had been left traumatised by the experience.
The explosion happened after masked gunmen forced their way into another house and then threw the bomb.
The children of neighbours were left badly shaken in an attack police said could have been fatal.
No one was injured but a number of homes were damaged, with windows smashed in bedrooms where children were asleep.
“My own niece was caught up in it,” said Mr McGuinness. “She lives just across the street from where the bomb was placed, she is there with her husband and three young children. Her neighbours are also affected by this and their young families as well.
“I think it absolutely diabolical that there are still idiots within our society who believe it is sensible to go to an area like the Brandywell and place a bomb and threaten people’s lives.
“This is a bomb that could quite easily have killed a number of people, particularly children.
“Her (Mrs Hutton’s) children were sleeping at the time and were wakened by this and were in hysterics for hours after it so I’ve just spoken to her on the phone and everybody in the area is just absolutely disgusted that there are still people within our society who believe that the use of violence represents a sensible way forward.”
