100 people watched mob beat men

A woman, who did not wish to be named, told the BBC that a priest intervened to try to calm the situation.

The two men, who had been pursued by police, were found in Mullaghbawn on Saturday evening.

They were beaten, tied up and covered in paint before police were called to the scene.

Both were then taken to hospital for treatment to their injuries.

The woman said she thought one of the men being attacked had been killed.

“They kicked them in the head. They beat them with sticks. They jeered. They took pictures of them.”

“I thought one of them was dead,” she told the BBC.

Police had said Alexis Guesto and James White were wanted for a range of offences. It is understood they are both registered sex offenders.

The woman said one of the men was hit on the head with a bottle.

“We went for the priest and he immediately came down and tried to plead with them.

“I know they had to be taken out of the community - but not like that.”

The whole incident had damaged the reputation of the area, she said.

“People were saying we’d rather go to Syria than to south Armagh now,” she said.

Fr John Heagney confirmed that he tried to intervene but declined to comment any further.

One of the two men attacked, James White, has been recalled to prison while the other, Alexis Guesto, appeared at Newry Crown court on Monday morning and was remanded in custody.

It is understood both men had breached court orders by leaving Northern Ireland.

Police said on Sunday that they had to “redirect resources towards investigating a serious assault” after the two wanted men were “kicked and beaten with iron bars”.

They were then “further assaulted” and “covered in paint”.