Witness knew catholics “by looking at them”

One of the most tedious cliches to emerge from the conflict in the north of Ireland has been the suggestion flippantly made in jokes, books or films about this place that you can tell somebody’s religion by the distance between their eyes.
The appearance of Stacey Bridgett before the Robert Hamill Inquiry was noteworthy this week for an unnerving assertion made by Mr Bridgett, who was one of five men initially charged with the murder of the Portadown catholic before the charges were dropped after witnesses withdrew their evidence. During questioning over the events of that night, he claimed to have pretended to be a catholic when approached by a man as he feared being attacked if identified as a protestant. Upon being questioned about how he knew the man’s religious denomination, he offered this response:
“Sometimes you can sort of tell one by looking at them. I can sort of tell what they look like.”

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