A man has been taken to hospital following a serious assault in a car park in Bushmills, County Antrim in the early hours of Sunday Morning, Newsletter reported.
The man in his 20s was found nailed to a fence, with a nail through each hand, shortly after midnight.
Two vans, one belonging to the injured man, were found on fire in the car park near Dundarave Park.
Graffiti on nearby public toilets has been linked to the assault and arson. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said the man was left with potentially life-changing but not life-threatening injuries.
Police said it was a “sinister attack.”
“We live in a democratic society where there is no justification for this. Those responsible brutalise their own communities and control others through intimidation and violence.”
The assault happened in a public car park near Dundarave Park. Crews from Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) also attended the scene and extensive damage was caused to both vehicles.
It is understood the man was taken to hospital in a fire engine.
Speaking to BBC News NI on Sunday afternoon, Assistant Chief Constable Bobby Singleton said it was a “really shocking incident with levels of, almost, ultra violence”.
“It’s early days and we are keeping an open mind, but this incident bears all the hallmarks of what we would see as paramilitary-style attacks, so that will be one key line of inquiry,” he said.
