Probe after gang beat up sex offenders

Police are investigating vigilantes in south Armagh after two sex offenders they were pursuing were beaten with iron bars and covered in paint before being left tied up.
By The Newsroom
Published 29th Apr 2018, 17:59 BST
Updated 29th Apr 2018, 19:06 BST
Photographs of Alexis Guesto (left) and James White were released by the PSNI.Police appealed for information on their location. They were later found in south Armagh.Photographs of Alexis Guesto (left) and James White were released by the PSNI.Police appealed for information on their location. They were later found in south Armagh.
Photographs of Alexis Guesto (left) and James White were released by the PSNI.Police appealed for information on their location. They were later found in south Armagh.

On Friday the PSNI Public Protection Branch issued an appeal for information on James White and Alexis Guesto, saying they were wanted for a range of offences including breach of licence and warrants.

Police said they had recently travelled to Northern Ireland from the Republic and that there had been sightings of them in the South Armagh and Newry areas.

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Following concerns raised by the public, a blue Peugeot parked was seized by police in a car park on the Chancellors Road area of Mullaghbawn shortly after 1pm on Thursday.

Police said they were also “aware of comments on social media regarding this vehicle and are appealing for anyone who observed the car in the local area or anyone who observed the occupant(s) of the car after it was parked to contact police”.

On Saturday afternoon police said they had conducted a search in the Silverbridge area of South Armagh and thanked the local community for information they had provided.

At 10.15pm on Saturday evening police issued a further statement saying the two men had been located in the Mullaghbawn area of south Armagh.

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The BBC reported that the men had been found with their hands tied behind their backs and were covered in paint.

Police said they had been “alerted to reports of an assault in the area and upon arrival discovered the two men”.

Both men had been injured and were taken to hospital for treatment, police said.

Detective Chief Inspector Jill Duffie from PSNI Public Protection Branch said:” I understand that feelings in the area have been running high over the search for these men, however, there can never be an excuse for violence or people taking the law into their own hands. We will be investigating the assault and working to identify anyone involved.”

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Sinn Féin councillor Mickey Larkin told the BBC it was “unfortunate but understandable considering the distress the community had been under”.

“Feelings were running high. It’s unfortunate that’s happened but thankfully these two individuals are in police custody,” he said.

He praised the “vigilance of the south Armagh community in relation to these two individuals” and said the “cooperation between our community and the PSNI over the past few days is worthy of praise”.

Related topics:PoliceArmaghBBCNorthern Ireland