Pensioner struggled to sleep following attack

A 74-year-old woman who was attacked by a man with a crowbar as she was robbed of cash still bears the mental and physical scars from the incident.
Maureen Creaney shows the severe bruising she sustained when she was attacked and robbed by a man trying to braek into a charity box in St Patrick's Church, Wiliam St on Saturday afternoon. INPT27-222.Maureen Creaney shows the severe bruising she sustained when she was attacked and robbed by a man trying to braek into a charity box in St Patrick's Church, Wiliam St on Saturday afternoon. INPT27-222.
Maureen Creaney shows the severe bruising she sustained when she was attacked and robbed by a man trying to braek into a charity box in St Patrick's Church, Wiliam St on Saturday afternoon. INPT27-222.

Maureen Creaney was struck with the bar by Thomas John Martin Magill in St Patrick’s Chapel in Portadown as he demanded cash from the pensioner.

Magill was jailed immediately for four years whilst the judge imposed an extended sentence period of three years.

Maureen who decided against attending Craigavon Crown Court last week to hear the sentence being handed out, said she is glad a prison sentence was imposed.

She said: “When they came back and said he had got seven years, I was happy with that but it’s four and three on.

“I’m just glad that he has got time. I was happy to hear it. From I got this news, it kind of lifted me a wee bit, you have to go on.”

The attack occurred in June of last year but Maureen said that she still lives with the trauma of the incident, she added: “I have never been the same since it, just all nervous all the time after it. It is made me wary of being on my own,

“I couldn’t sleep after it, the doctor gave me sleeping tablets to take, I was very nervous. all the time. Anyone comes to the door, I’m jumping you know that way, opening the door to people. I always keep my door locked, I always do.

“That arm is still sore all the time, I’ve been up to the doctor and she’s given me pain killers but it’s still sore.”

Maureen added she has not been back to the chapel since the incident, “I haven’t been back to the chapel, they’ve told me to go back as long as there are people in it, I would’ve went in all the time but I just couldn’t go back in again. I have to move on, I have to try.”

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