By Conor Sharkey
THE family forced to flee their Springhill home believe the punishment visited upon them far outweighed the crime.
The family of Jessie McElhinney spoke exclusively to the Chronicle yesterday, two days after a masked gang smashed their way into their house at around midnight on Monday. Seven people, including a six-year-old boy, were in the house at the time.
The hurley bat wielding gang went on to cause thousands of pounds worth of damage, smashing windows, a 42" television set, family photographs, light fittings and ornaments.
It is believed the same gang visited the home of Ms McElhinney's daughter earlier in the evening, smashing the front windows of the property.
Yesterday, family spokesperson Teddy McElroy Duffy dismissed claims that the McElhinney's had been responsible for the majority of anti-social activity that has gripped the estate in recent weeks. As far as the family were concerned, Mr Duffy said, the only problem was a neighbourhood dispute, which began with a fall out among children.
Mr Duffy also revealed the family were in hiding in Donegal and would not be returning to their Strabane home.
"What happened was totally wrong. There had been a drunken dispute with neighbours that got out of control. It started with a fall out over children and there were a few windows broken, they accept that. But the punishment definitely didn't fit the crime.
"The family know they haven't been angels and that things could have been handled better. But they didn't deserve this and they are very badly shaken up by what happened," he said.
Asked about accusations made by Springhill residents against them, the McElhinney family denied that they were behind a litany of anti-social incidents. It was, Mr Duffy said, little more than a neighbourhood row that could have been settled through dialogue.
"The things that have been said are totally wrong. This was a feud that could have been handled with the families being sat down in the community hall and made to chat to each other.
"They just can't believe what happened. They were confronted by a gang and given 24 hours to get of Strabane. They were afraid for their lives and are still badly shaken and over what? A fall out over children," Mr Duffy said.
Asked if the family would be prepared to speak with their former neighbours, Mr Duffy said they were too frightened to return to Strabane. He added however that they regretted that things had not been settled before they spiralled so far out of control.
"The advice they would have for other families is that in future, if there are any problems, then sit down and discuss it because they wouldn't anyone else to have to go through the experience they did on Monday night.
"At the minute, they don't know what they are going to do, just try to rebuild their lives. It will be a slow process getting over this and Jessie has lived in Strabane for 30 years.
"But those days are over and she never thought it would come to this. They are considering the future, maybe moving to Scotland, but nothing has been decided," Mr Duffy said.
