Neill O’Neill
neilloneill@mayonews.ie
MEMBERS of An Garda Siochána in Mayo have expressed concern for their own wellbeing and what has been described as ‘brazen lawlessness’, following an incident at the weekend where the partner of a serving Garda had a knife held to her throat at home, while the couple’s young children slept upstairs.
Described as an aggravated burglary, The Mayo News has learned that the incident, which took place at around 10.30pm on Friday night in Charlestown, was a targeted attack on the home of a Garda. He was working at the time when two balaclava-clad men entered his house and began violently assaulting his partner, while shouting at her to reveal his whereabouts. They quickly went through the house looking for him - including entering the room where his children were sleeping - and then held a knife to his partner’s throat before leaving. Though very traumatised by the incident, she was not seriously injured.
The sinister incident comes just weeks after the home of a detective garda was entered for a second time in two months, and his wife viciously assaulted for a second time. Meanwhile, The Mayo News has also learnt that the home of a couple from the Castlebar area - both members of An Garda Siochána - was burgled at the weekend, while the occupants were away.
Garda units from across Mayo were deployed to Charlestown after Friday’s incident, but no trace of the suspects was found. It is unknown how they arrived at or left the scene, which is in a built-up area, and not in any way rural or isolated. All lines of inquiry are being followed but no actual motive has yet been identified. The incident comes following a period of heightened tension across Mayo following a spate of burglaries and other crimes, and the recent closure of some rural garda stations.
In what is believed to have been one of the biggest car chases to have ever taken place in the west of Ireland, a criminal gang suspected of involvement in a number of burglaries in the county managed to escape capture in early December. Gardaí from Mayo, Roscommon, Sligo, Galway and Longford were involved in the chase which lasted from before 8pm on Saturday evening until close to 4am on Sunday morning and travelled the length of the county at speeds sometimes in excess of 200 km/h. A lack of suitable cars was identified by one garda involved in the chase at the time, as a contributing factor in not apprehending the criminal gang, who were travelling in a high powered Subaru.
That gang were linked to the first burglary and assault on businesswoman Regina Sweeney in Breaffy on December 1 last. Later that week Gardaí launched a manhunt for a pair of suspects who escaped when a blue Volvo which Gardaí spotted ‘acting suspiciously’ in the Hollymount area drove off ‘at speed’ when Gardaí approached it, and later crashed.
Two other men who were unable to free themselves from the back of the car following the single vehicle collision were arrested and brought to Galway University Hospital.
Then, less than a month ago, Regina Sweeney was again attacked in her home, when she was tied to the stairs in her house, hit and choked by two masked men on February 6.
Anyone with information on this latest aggravated burglary, or any other recent incident, is asked to contact Gardai in Swinford at 094 92 52990, your nearest garda station or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.
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