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Man arrested and charged after December ‘hate crime’ attack on Co Armagh church

Window smashed and wooden Remembrance poppy crosses were damaged

Picture: PSNI Chief Inspector Jon Burrows twitter, showing himself and Reverend David Henry outside First Lurgan Presbyterian Church.

A man has been arrested in relation to a hate crime attack on a Co Armagh church in December.

The 54-year-old was detained in the Banbridge area on Tuesday and has now been charged with causing criminal damage.

He will appear before Craigavon Magistrates’ Court tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.

It was in mid-December that police launched an investigation after an attack on a place of worship. It happened sometime between midday on Tuesday, December 11 and 1pm the next day.

A brick had been thrown at the front door of First Lurgan Presbyterian Church, shattering a pane of glass.

And inside, a number of  wooden ‘poppy’ crosses – placed by families in memory of loved ones – were also damaged.

Chief Inspector Burrows, at the time, said police stood “shoulder to shoulder with Reverend David Henry and the congregation of First Lurgan Presbyterian Church after the hate crime attack”.

With confirmation on an arrest and charge being brought, Chief Inspector Jon Burrows has  thanked officers investigating for their “thorough work”.

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