The Gardaí at Abbeyleix Garda Station are investigating an aggravated burglary that occurred at a filling station on Monday the 9th May 2011 at Cullahill, Co. Laois.
At approximately 11pm the owner of the filling station was in the kitchen of her home which is adjacent to the petrol station. She went out the back patio door to get something from her car. Her dog started barking and she saw a hooded figure climbing over the back wall into her garden. The woman ran back into her home and locked the back patio door. The four masked and armed raiders where now in the back garden and ran after her. The raiders smashed the window of the patio door and gained entry to her home. The woman ran to the alarm but was grabbed by one of the raiders before she could set if off. The raiders brought her back to the kitchen and placed her on a chair. They threatened her and demanded money and cigarettes. They told her they would not harm her if she did what they told her. She gave them what ever cash she had in her home. One of the raiders went upstairs and ransacked the bedrooms. They demanded to know where the safe was. She told them it was in the shop. They ordered her to give them the keys to the shop. T hey brought her to shop. At some point another raider drove a dark coloured BMW into the back garden. The raiders prised open the cigarette machine with crow bars. They filled up big bags and bins with cigarettes. They told the woman they would tie her up but she pleaded with them. They left her locked in a bathroom in her home.
Appeal:
• Anyone who was in the area at the time of this incident and may be in a position to offer any assistance with the investigation to contact the Gardaí
• Anyone who may have seen a black 5 series BMW vehicle 2007 to 2010 model in the area before or after this incident to contact the Gardaí
• Anyone with information in relation to the identity of the persons involved in this incident
The Gardaí at Abbeyleix Garda Station are investigating Telephone (057) 8730580
The Gardaí at Templemore Garda Station are investigating an Armed Robbery that occurred in the home a local business man and his wife on Thursday, the 28th April 2011.
At approximately 8am the woman of the house got up and prepared breakfast. The business man got up a short time later and made some work related phone calls. His wife went upstairs to get dressed. At approximately 9.45am the man was in a room at the front of the house on the phone. He finished his phone call and walked into the kitchen. He saw a black jeep pull up at the back of his house. Two masked and armed men got out and ran towards his house. His wife who was upstairs heard a noise from outside and looked out the bedroom window. She saw the two men and shouted at them to go away. She pressed the panic alarm in the room. The two raiders burst through the kitchen door and threatened the man and demanded money. One of the raiders told the man to turn off the alarm and the second raider ran upstairs to the man’s wife who was attempting to lock herself into the bedroom. The raider burst through the door and threatened her and told her he wanted money. The raider dragged the woman downstairs where she saw her husband. He told her to give them the money. The raider pushed the woman back upstairs where she gave him a bag of money. The raider searched the bedroom for more money. He grabbed the woman again and brought her downstairs. The raiders left the house and drove out of the garden at speed. The woman managed to take down the number of the jeep, a black Toyota Landcruiser registration number 07KE7295.
The vehicle travelled at speed towards Freshfrord through Ballyragget, where a witness who was carrying out work on a house saw a person acting suspiciously in the area. The witness stated that this person took a consaw and ran towards a jeep. Shortly after this another witness who was travelling from Freshford towards Ballyragget became aware of the jeep registration number 07KE7295 with two males on board travelling very close behind his vehicle.
Prior to this incident at between 9.30am and 9.40am a witness observed the black Toyota Landcruiser with a silver coloured car acting suspiciously a short distance away from Graigue.
Appeal:
• Anyone who was in the Graigue area or surrounding area before or after this incident on the morning of Thursday the 28th April 2011
• Anyone who may have seen a black Toyota Landcruiser bearing cloned registration number 07KE7295 in the Urlingford area in the days before and after this incident and who may know the whereabouts of this vehicle.
• Gardaí now appealing to anyone who may have information in relation to the cloning of the above registration plates.
• Anyone who may have seen a silver car travelling in convey with the Landcruiser in the Urlingford area
Description of Men:
• Raider 1 – 5ft 9inchs in height, stocky build, wearing dark clothing with a dark balaclava and a midlands accent
• Raider 2 – 5ft 6inches in height, thin build, late teens or early twenties, wearing dark clothing and dark balaclava with a midlands accent.
The Gardaí at Baltinglass Garda Station are investigating an attempted theft at a Bank in Tinahely, Co. Wicklow.
On Sunday the 1st May 2011 at 5.45am a gang of at least four masked and armed men attempted to remove an ATM from a bank in Tinahely, Co. Wicklow. The raiders used a stolen track machine which was situated on the back of a trailer in an attempt to remove the ATM, causing extensive damage to the bank. The track machine fell off the trailer. The raiders fled the scene in an Audi A3 vehicle, leaving three vehicles at the scene that had also been stolen prior to this incident.
A Mitsubishi Pajero jeep registration number 03CN712 was recovered at the scene, this vehicle was taken during the course of a burglary on the 30th April 2011 in Tullow, Co. Carlow. A silver Toyota Landcruiser jeep registration number 06KK946 was also recovered at the scene, this vehicle was stolen in the course of a burglary in the early hours of the 1st May at Castledermot, Co. Kildare. The Ford tractor registration number 90WX4156 was also left at the scene, this vehicle was stolen from a yard in Ballon, Co. Carlow at 4.20am.
Appeal:
• Anyone who was in the area at the time of this incident and who may be in a position to offer any assistance to the investigation.
• Anyone who saw these vehicles in convoy on route to Tinahely in the early hours of Sunday the 1st May 2011.
• Anyone who has information on the whereabouts of the Audi vehicle before and after this incident
• Anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in Tinahely in the days or weeks prior to this incident
The Gardaí at Baltinglass are investigating Telephone (059) 6482610
The Fraud segment included an interview with Detective Inspector Denis Heneghan of the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation highlighting a recent scam known as the “Black Money Scam”.
Detective Inspector Heneghan offered advice to the public as to what action should be taken to avoid becoming a victim of such a crime.
The Gardaí at Portlaoise Garda Station are investigating a robbery that occurred at a filling station in Mountrath on Saturday, the 30th April 2011.
At approximately 2.35am two staff members were working in the filling station. Four masked and armed men entered the shop and threatened the staff members. They demanded money and cigarettes. They loaded cigarettes into the boot of a dark coloured BMW 3 Series two door saloon.
The Gardaí at Portloaise are investigating Telephone (057) 8674100
The Garda Supporting Safer Communities Campaign is being launched by the Garda Commissioner on Tuesday, the 31st May 2011.
Chief Superintendent Anne Marie McMahon was in studio to promote the campaign which runs from Wednesday, the 1st June to Monday, the 6th June 2011.
The aim of the campaign is a focus on - Burglaries, theft from vehicles, theft of pedal cycles and theft of farm machinery.
There was also a studio interview with Sergeant Jim McAllister which focused on road safety over the Bank Holiday weekend.
There are many activities associated with the campaign taking place that include open days, local radio broadcasts and community partner meetings.
Gardaí are hosting a community safety stand at the “Bloom in the Park” festival from the 2nd to the 6th of June 2011.The Gardaí at Watercourse Road Garda Station are investigating a serious assault on a woman that occurred in the early hours of Friday, the 18th March 2011.
At 10pm on Thursday, the 17th March the woman met up with friends to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. They went to a pub on Winthrop Street and had a couple of drinks. At around 1.30am or 2am the woman left the pub to head home. She was alone and walked from Bridge Street onto Coburg Street and then onto Leitrim Street. The woman put on head phones to listen to some music.
A man walking from Devonshire Street towards the junction at Coburg Street noticed the woman and sharply changed direction. He was now walking on Leitrim Street in the same direction as the woman. The woman first noticed this man here. The man managed to get ahead of the woman and walked up steps leading onto the North City Road where he went into a garage and purchased a bottle of water, he was keeping a look out for the woman at all times. As the woman passed the garage the man was behind her. The woman noticed the same man again and crossed over the road and walked by the Heineken Brewery that leads onto Watercourse Road. As the woman was turning on Watercourse Road she was grabbed from behind and dragged down a flight of stairs to the basement of the Constellation Public House losing her shoes and handbag. The man was now standing in front of her holding onto her right arm. He punched her in the face several times and the woman fell to the ground. The man pulled her back to her feet and continued to assault her. The woman was screaming and in fear for her life, the man put his hand over her mouth and she bite down on his little finger causing him to bleed. The woman spoke to the man and tried to calm him down. The woman noticed the man had a cork city accent. At this stage the man left and walked away, leaving the women injured and in shock. She used the flashlight on her mobile phone to find her personal belongings. She called her friend who called the Gardaí.
Description of Man: Between 5ft 6inches to 5ft 9inches in height, with short spiky hair, possibly fair in colour, wearing a dark fabric jacket with epaulettes on the shoulders, light blue jeans and dark shoes.
Appeal:
• Anyone who was in the area of Watercourse Road at the time of the incident who may have seen this man.
• Anyone who noticed a man with an injury to his hand or finger on the 18th March or days after the incident to contact the Gardaí.
• A member of the public used the green man at Watercourse Garda Station to alert Gardaí that he heard a women screaming. Gardaí are appealing for this witness to come forward.
The Gardaí at Watercourse Road Garda Station are investigating Telephone (021) 4558260