Nicola Nugent said a North Belfast explosion woke her just after 3 o'clock on Friday when a pipe bomb was put through the letterbox of her home on Stanhope Street. She and her four children got out of the house after the blast, and no-one was injured.
The device exploded at about 03:00 BST, set off the fire alarm, and damaged the front door and hallway. Homes in Stanhope Street were evacuated while police kept cordons in place and Army bomb experts examined the scene.
Nicola Nugent on the blast
Nugent said, "I was just woke up with an explosion at just after three o'clock. [I] jumped up, trying to get the kids out." She added, "There was so much smoke so we couldn't really see what they were doing."
Her account places the immediate danger inside the house rather than at a distance. The blast came through the letterbox, which meant the family had to move through smoke and damage before they could get clear.
Homes in Stanhope Street
The evacuation extended beyond Nugent's home. Homes in Stanhope Street were cleared while police cordons stayed in place and Army bomb experts worked at the property.
That response kept the street closed off around the house while the investigation continued. For residents, the practical effect was a disruption to access and movement on the street until the scene could be made safe.
Carál Ní Chuilín on the attack
Nicola Nugent said she "definitely, 100% believed it was a case of mistaken identity." Carál Ní Chuilín, from Sinn Féin, condemned the attack and said, "She has four children, the youngest of which is a baby of a year old" and "As far as I'm concerned, this was attempt of murder."
The dispute over motive is the central unresolved part of the attack. Nugent's view points to a case of mistaken identity; Ní Chuilín described it as an attempt of murder.
