Disabled woman claims attacks on her home are a ‘hate crime’

130 Edward Street - a flat - Martina Haddock. damage caused by teenagers. INLM4514-437

Martina Haddock (50) has had issues with the youths in the past over noise and vandalism and, in the latest incident, the contents of her rubbish bin have been dumped out and possibly urinated on.

Obviously upset by the latest incident, Martina told the ‘MAIL’: “They have piled rubbish at my back door - medical stuff taken from my dustbin. I’m afraid to touch it. I’m not sure someone has urinated over it or if it’s water.”

She said she had reported the matter to the police but they have referred her to the Housing Executive.

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Martina has been subjected to almost weekly attacks on the place where she’s lived for nearly two decades.

She has lived happily in the block of flats in Edward Street for the last 18 years but recently the building has attracted vandalism on a regular basis.

The flats are owned by the Housing Executive, who Martina said do their best to fix the damage, but are being called out far too often in her opinion.

Martina, who has been in a wheelchair all her life, said: “You’ll see them in the corridor, being rowdy, playing music, smoking and drinking carry outs.

“None of them live here. They’ll tell you they know someone in one of the flats but, if that’s the case, why are they hanging about in the  corridor?

“They’ve no respect for any of the people who live in these flats. They think it’s fun to wreck the place.”

Late last year vandals broke the glass in her back door, kicking in both panels.

Then someone put their boot through the back door. The glass in the front door was also broken.

Following the previous attack, the Housing Executive pointed out the flats at Edward Street operate a door entry system, giving residents control over who enters the communal areas, and they ordered a service of the system to ensure it was operating correctly.

They urged all residents to ensure that the system is being used properly.

Communal areas in the flats, they said, are inspected on a regular basis.

Residents were also urged to report any incident of anti-social behaviour directly to their local Housing Executive office and to the PSNI.