Councillor survives murder bid at home

The local councillor was seriously ill but stable in hospital following the attack at his parent’s Ballydougan home near Bleary.

They also claimed that his parents and his sister-in-law could have been killed in the murder bid, which happened shortly before 11pm as the Sinn Fein councillor visited his family.

Two men, both wearing balaclavas, walked into the Curran home through the back door and entered the living room.

“They opened up, hitting Brendan several times. They then moved forward to finish him off, but the gun jammed. They tried to get back in again.”

As they were leaving, the men threw a grenade through the back livingroom window, causing considerable damage. It blew off the inside door and a radiator, while also destroying a shelf unit. His father was injured and needed six stitches.

Cllr Curran was hit on the thigh and the right arm. The most serious wound was to his neck.

Doctors were also concerned about his lungs.

The party said that Cllr Curran never usually visited his parents’ home on Sunday night, so those responsible could hardly have ‘timetabled’ him.

“We believe that British forces involved in the sinister world of undercover operations could have supplied the would be murderers with first hand information on Cllr Curran’s movements.”