Police in the North have appealed for witnesses to a vicious assault on the son of Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan in north Belfast early yesterday.
The 23-year-old, whose name has not been released, was being treated in hospital after he was assaulted with iron bars. He suffered serious head injuries and bruising to his face and body.
The attack happened between 3.30am and 4.30am yesterday and the PSNI has urged anyone who may have witnessed the beating to come forward.
Police did not say what the motive for the attack was. One local source said it seemed unlikely he was beaten because he was Mrs O'Loan's son. He did not believe the gang who carried out the assault would have been aware of the victim's relationship with the Police Ombudsman.
He was attacked in the vicinity of Hillview Court in the Oldpark Road area, which is near a loyalist flashpoint. This indicates a possible sectarian motive for the assault.
A spokesman for the Police Ombudsman confirmed that Mrs O'Loan's son was the victim of the attack. The injured man's father is Declan O'Loan, an SDLP councillor in Ballymena, Co Antrim.
Mrs O'Loan has held the post of Police Ombudsman since 2000. Her remit is to hold the PSNI accountable for its actions.
