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TWO serious assaults, including a knife attack and a separate incident in which a man was repeatedly kicked in the head, are under investigation following violent incidents near Omagh Bus Depot over the Christmas period.
The attacks, which occurred just ten days apart, have raised concerns locally and come weeks after another man had to be resuscitated following a separate assault in the town centre.
In the most recent incident, a 46-year-old man sustained severe facial injuries, including a fractured eye socket, after being attacked in the early hours of December 28. It is believed he may require reconstructive surgery.
The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the assault happened at around 1.30am after the victim remonstrated with a man he did not know who was asking for a lift.
The victim was kicked while on the ground. Police have said the attack was not prolonged.
A woman who came to the man’s aid described the scene as ‘awful’.
“He was bleeding and in a lot of pain. It was just terrible to see someone in that state,” she told the Ulster Herald.
Just over a week earlier, local taxi driver Dennis Leonard was attacked with a knife in the toilets at the bus depot during daylight hours on December 18.
Mr Leonard said he was fortunate not to have been more seriously injured.
“It was lucky the man didn’t have the knife out before he came into the toilets,” he said. “If he had, I would have been stabbed in the stomach and wouldn’t have known what had happened.
“He pulled out a knife and tried to jab me. There was a sports bag on the ground and I grabbed it to protect myself. Then he attempted to take out a second knife. I managed to get him away and phoned police straight away.”
Mr Leonard said taxi drivers increasingly fear being assaulted while working.
“There seems to be more assaults happening in the town centre now than in the past,” he added.
Police in Omagh charged a 19-year-old man to court following the assault.
He was charged with attempted grievous bodily harm with intent and possessing an article with blade or point in a public place.
PSNI officers investigating the December 28 assault are appealing for witnesses or anyone with dashcam, phone or CCTV footage from the area to contact them on 101, quoting reference number 902 29/12/25. Information can also be submitted online or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
Meanwhile, a teenager is due to appear in court in the New Year after a serious assault in Omagh town centre just before Christmas which left a man in his 30s in a ‘critical, but stable’ condition in hospital.
The incident occurred on Market Street in the early hours of Sunday, December 21. As police officers spoke with the man, who suffered numerous head and facial injures, before his condition rapidly deteriorated and he collapsed, requiring officers to perform CPR.
An 18-year-old male will appear before Omagh Magistrates Court on January 13 in relation to this incident.