Grieving man's new home attacked by homophobes

A grieving man in Northern Ireland who was forced to leave his home after suffering years of homophobic attacks has now had his new house targeted by homophobes.

Paul Finlay-Dickson’s civil partner Maurice died in January following battle with cancer, after spending the last 18 months of his life dealing with regular homophobic attacks on the couple’s home in Belfast.

Paul Finlay-Dickson (l) with his partner Maurice

Mr Finlay-Dickson said gangs of youths had pushed faeces thorough the letter box of their home, and would regularly throw eggs and bang on the windows.

He added he had suffered more than 15 separate attacks in the last four months, and in one incident a rainbow flag that Maurice had requested to be draped on his coffin, was ripped down from outside their home and covered in faeces.

Following Maurice’s death, Mr Finlay-Dickson had been due to move to a new home in Cosgrave Heights to escape the campaign of abuse.

However, his new home was attacked at the weekend (June 6), when a a gang smashed windows and daubed graffiti on the building, the BBC reports.

Mr Finlay-Dickson said he now felt too frightened to move in.

“The house was boarded up, there was black paint above the window,” he said.

“On either side of the door they wrote ‘pedo’. I’m not a paedophile. I’m a gay man, I’m not a paedophile.”

Of the psychological toll the abuse was taking, he added: “They make me feel as if I am living in fear.”

“I am being segregated and attacked because of my sexual orientation.

“I am not the only gay man in Northern Ireland. This is a homophobic hate crime attack. Something needs to be done, I cannot take much more.”

Gavin Boyd from Northern Irish LGBT support group Rainbow Project said his “heart went out” to the grieving widower.

“My heart goes out to Paul,” he said.

“It is deeply disconcerting that anyone should have to go through such a sustained period of homophobic attacks and crimes.

“With all kinds of prejudice or hate-based violence, it is about whatever someone can identify as a weak spot – that is something people will prey on.”

Mr Boyd called for the police, the Housing Executive, politicians and community leaders to work towards a joined-up approach to tackle such homophobic attacks.

“For far too long, people have been putting up with these sustained campaigns of intimidation,” he said.

“Police need to adopt a robust response to these kind of crimes.”

A spokesperson for the Housing Executive said they would be making urgent contact with Mr Finlay-Dickson to discuss his options in the wake of the crime.

Grieving man’s new home attacked by homophobes

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