Teenager charged after drill attack on woman in Strabane
38-year-old victim left in critical condition
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A 17-year-old boy has been charged with attacking a woman with a cordless drill in Northern Ireland, police said.
The 38-year-old victim was left in a critical condition after sustaining a severe head injury in the assault in Strabane, County Tyrone.
Detectives have been investigating a potential homophobic motive.
The teenager is accused of grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent, according to the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
They are also charged with possession of an offensive weapon in a public place and the theft of a drill.
He is expected to appear at Omagh Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
The attack happened around 2am on Saturday in Railway Street.
Detective Sergeant Brian Reid said: “This was a brutal attack and the injuries sustained by the victim are extremely grave.
“We are exploring a possible homophobic motive for the crime and we are appealing for witnesses to get in touch with us.
“We would like to hear from anyone who may have seen a male carrying a drill in the area at around the time of the assault and we would especially like to speak to anyone who may have captured footage, either on mobile phone or dashcam.”
He added: “At this time we are satisfied that a single attacker was involved in this incident.”