Mother Forced to Beg for Her Son's Life After Masked Men Broke Into Her Home at Knife-point

Nicole McGrillen

 

Nicole McGrillen, a 21-year-old mother was forced to beg burglars not to kill her baby after they held a knife to his throat and stole his Christmas presents.According to Daily Mail UK, the young woman was woken by the sound of the intruders rifling through her belongings right next to her bed in Belfast at 2am yesterday.

 

She jumped up with her partner Philip McDowell and confronted the men, who then held a knife to the neck of their six-month-old son Finley.

 

The armed robbers grabbed a laptop, mobile phones, a purse and the presents the couple had bought for their son, who will celebrate his first Christmas in five weeks.

 

Nicole's father Finbar, 42, was murdered in a flat in the Ravenhill area of Belfast in December 2013 and his terrified daughter says he 'must have been watching over them' because they survived.

 

Describing the burglary to friends on Facebook she said: 'Absolutely heartbroken can't believe I woke in the early hours of the morning to a man holding a knife to Finleys neck in his cot and a man holding a knife to me and Philip in bed would not wish it on anyone.

 

'Absolutely terrifying having to beg for the life of your baby and your own when you are so helpless what scumbags would hold a knife to a 6 month old baby's neck and threaten their life'.

 

She added they 'stole everything they could and all Finleys Christmas things just thanking my lucky stars I have my family safe absolutely terrifying someone was definitely watching over us'.

 

The woman's baby was almost killed

 

The PSNI have confirmed they are investigating the burglary and have already made two arrests after stopping a suspicious car in the area. 

 

Miss McGrillen told her local newspaper: 'It was like something from a film. You're just frozen with fear. We were begging them for our lives.

'My mum keeps my dad's ashes beside her bed so he was obviously watching over us'.

 

The ordeal at the south Belfast home the couple and baby share with her mother,   and younger siblings Joe and Nicole.

 

Police are appealing for information about the incident and any witnesses. 

 

Detective Sergeant Philip McCullagh said: 'Police received a report at around 2.10am that two males had gained entry into a house.

'The males were reported to be armed with knives taken from the kitchen of the property.

 

'When confronted by one of the female occupants, the two males fled the scene with a number of items including a laptop, mobile phone and a purse.'

 

'Police subsequently stopped two men nearby who matched the description given by the occupant and a number of items were recovered.

 

'Two men aged 25 and 30 were arrested on suspicion of a number of offences including aggravated burglary and assault on police and are currently in custody helping police with their enquiries.

 

'Police are appealing to anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in the area or who may have information which could help them with their enquiries to contact the Reducing Offending Unit on 101 quoting reference number 71 of 23/11/2017.'