Detectives in Newry are investigating an aggravated burglary at the home of an elderly couple in Forkhill, Co. Armagh in the early hours of Tuesday, May 13.
At around 12:15am, two men, one of whom was armed with a hurl, forced entry to a home on the Carrickasticken Road.
According to the Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI), the intruder armed with the bat threatened the occupants, demanding money.
The pair then ransacked the property and pulled the home phone cord from the wall, before making off with cash and jewellery.
The PSNI believes that the suspects, who were both described as stocky, wearing dark clothing, caps and face coverings, made their escape in a vehicle.
Detectives are investigating a potential link between this crime and another attempted burglary in Warrenpoint around an hour later, when a householder disturbed two men outside his Lagan Court home. The suspects fled the scene in a small dark coloured car.
Detective inspector Jill Angus said: “This was a terrible ordeal for the victims, all of whom were awoken in the middle of the night by masked strangers, and in the case of the couple in Forkhill, were subjected to threats of violence in their own home.
“We are rigorously investigating these incidents and we are increasing our anti-burglary patrolling, particularly in our border areas, however we do also need the public’s help to prevent these crimes and to identify the people responsible.
“If you captured CCTV, doorbell, dashcam or any footage in the Forkhill or Warrenpoint areas at the relevant times during the early hours, please get in touch.”
The PSNI are advising the public that they should not hesitate to get in contact if they notice anything that arouses suspicion.
Burglary
In other news, Sinn Féin has launched a survey on community safety and policing in rural areas.
The survey seeks to capture the lived experiences of people across the country when it comes to policing, crime, and safety in their local areas, including in rural and isolated communities where services are under increasing strain.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on rural affairs, Conor McGuinness said: “Community safety is a major concern in many rural areas. People are telling me that they feel abandoned, with closed Garda stations, long response times, and no sense of visible policing.
“Successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael governments have failed rural communities. They’ve centralised services, cut Garda numbers, and ignored the need for a proper rural safety strategy.”
“This survey is about hearing directly from people on the ground – to get honest feedback about the challenges they’re facing and to use that to shape policy that works,” he added.
The survey can be completed online.
