‘Intimidation won’t stop me speaking out against drug dealers’ – says Hamilton

The graffiti branding the Rathcoole man ‘a tout’ was daubed on a number of walls along Ballyduff Brae last Wednesday night (October 24). It has since been removed.

“This is just the latest in a series of attempts to intimidate me and my family because of my stance against drug dealers.

“I’ve had death threats, a pipe bomb was put on my car, and now this,” Mr Hamilton told the Times.

“I’ve been calling on people to report drug dealers to the PSNI, and I will continue to do that because drugs are a serious problem, not just in estates like Rathcoole and Ballyduff, but in places like Carnmoney and all over the borough.”

The former soldier believes that his outspoken views on the problem of illegal drugs and so-called legal highs, and a number of recent raids by police against suspected drug dealers in the area, prompted the latest act of intimidation against him.

“This is not going to silence me. If these people think that intimidating me in this way is going to stop me then they’re very much mistaken.”

Mr Hamilton said he’d been encouraged by messages of support he received following the discovery of the threatening graffiti last Thursday morning.

“I’ve had great support from the local community for what I’m doing and the people responsible for this graffiti should know that this will not stop me; if anything it will make me more determined.

But it can’t just be about me, it can’t be one man’s crusade, the whole community needs to come together and make a stand against these drug dealers,” he added.