THE FAMILY OF a young man who was badly beaten and left in a taped-up wheelie bin have appealed for anyone who knows about the attack to come forward.
Adam Robinson was discovered in a blue wheelie bin in the Sentry Hill area of Ballymena last Tuesday afternoon. He had been in the bin for many hours and was discovered naked and badly beaten.
His father, Mervyn Robinson, says he was put into the bin head first before it was taped up.
“We don’t know how much longer he would have survived,” he said today.
“When the police called me I hardly recognised our son. He was badly beaten, was cut and bruised, had knife marks all over his body with a footprint on his body. The hospital’s main concern was for his liver and his kidneys. His left knee is also in an awful state.”
Adam was found by a man when his dog started to bark at something. The bin had been wedged below a tree in a secluded area surrounded by nettles.
“Adam had been left to a long lonely slow death and our sincere thanks and prayers go out to that man who found him,” continued Mervyn, who denied that his son had been out partying for a week.
We last spoke to Adam on Monday night at about 7pm when he said he was OK. Contrary to some reports he had not been partying for a week, we and his friends had been in contact with him.
“There are witnesses who saw the blue bin being wheeled around in the Dunclug, Dunvale, Doury Road, People’s Park and Sentry Hill area on the Tuesday. Please come forward and speak to the police,” he concluded. “We really need your evidence, please come forward, we need your help.”
The victim’s mother, Wilma Stewart, noted that three suspects are in custody for the “heinous crime” but added that she wants to make sure something like this never happens again. She also thanked friends, family and neighbours for their good wishes and support.
Lead detective on the case Tracey Mageean described Adam’s ordeal as “shocking”, noting that it has “brought really negative attention to Ballymena”.
“Although we’ve charged three people, however my detectives continue to investigate the matter and build the case.
“So, if you were in the Sentry Hill, Dunclug, Dunvale or Doury Road areas around late morning through to the afternoon of Tuesday 04 September, please contact police.
“Any information, no matter how small, could be very important to the investigation. We are working to bring those involved in this horrific ordeal before the court but we need your help to do it.”
Three local people – Teri Lau (26), David Patterson (26) and Paula Wilson (20) – have been charged with attempted murder and false imprisonment.
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