A Belfast man recounts paramilitary intimidation, leading to business closure, bankruptcy, and a brutal attack.
He opened Ribs and Bibs in South Belfast in 2013. Soon, people demanded money from him, but he refused to pay. They then intimidated him, and he got threatening calls, and his car was damaged.
A hammer attack happened at his restaurant, and Malachy was seriously hurt and hospitalized. He is still dealing with issues from that time, and now, he might lose his home, where he has lived for 30 years.
Malachy questions the Stormont campaign against paramilitary groups, asking how victims will get help. He told Belfast Live about his experience, stating that people did not want him there because of where he was from.
Guys were leaning on him, saying he needed to pay them. He refused, and they threatened to ruin his business. Things started happening, and someone broke fridge sensors, causing food to go bad and costing him money.
They stole meat from the restaurant’s back, and his car came under attack too. He then started getting strange phone calls. One caller threatened his daughter and also threatened to shoot his son; he reported everything to the police.
Malachy became bankrupt in 2016 due to a building maintenance dispute. Suppliers then demanded cash for deliveries and would not accept his cheques anymore.
He reopened the restaurant, but vendors wanted only cash payments. He had to bring thousands of pounds. However, money started disappearing, and he felt he could no longer manage this.
By 2018, Malachy wanted to leave the business as the threats were intensifying. He was then attacked after he closed it, which changed his life forever.
He closed the restaurant around Christmas, and weeks later, he was there by himself. Men broke in with baseball bats and beat him severely. He went to the hospital with injuries and never went back.
After closing, he became bankrupt and now worries about losing his home. He feels let down by the justice system and has not received any support.
He loses sleep worrying about a letter which might say they are taking his house. He will not let that happen. He put all his money into the restaurant, but the paramilitaries took everything from him, and the courts did nothing to help him.
He has two kids growing up and wants to leave them the house; that is all he has left. Now, they might take that from him too.
Billboards around Belfast are part of a campaign called Ending the Harm, which started last year. Paramilitaries exploit local businesses, the billboards say, and they control communities with violence, drugs, and fear. The campaign wants to keep people safe and wants people to resist paramilitary influence.
Malachy wrote to politicians about intimidation and stood up to paramilitaries. While billboards encourage standing up to them, he says you will be crucified if you do; he says he is proof of that fact.
The Executive Programme on Paramilitarism responded that they do not comment on individual cases. The Ending the Harm campaign does not ask people to speak out. Instead, it raises awareness about paramilitary abuse and encourages victims to get help and contact the police about crime.