Assault in Foxford

Assault in Foxford

Neill O’Neill

GARDAÍ are appealing for witnesses to a savage assault that took place in Foxford in the early hours of Monday morning last.
A number of persons broke into a residence on the Ballina Road on the outskirts of the town at 1am and assaulted the 60-year-old occupant as he slept in his bed. They stole a quantity of cash from the victim before bundling him into their car and driving away from the scene in the direction of Swinford. The man was abandoned on the roadside several miles from his home, from where he managed to get to a house and raise the alarm.
He was taken to Mayo General Hospital and was subsequently transferred to Dublin with what a Garda spokesperson described as ‘a serious eye injury’.
Two males and one female were arrested in Leitrim on Monday and are assisting Gardaí with their investigation into this incident.
Anyone who was in the Foxford area late on Sunday night/early Monday morning and may have noticed anything suspicious, either in the town or on the Swinford Road out of the town, is asked to contact Gardaí in Swinford on  094 9251115.
Gardaí are particularly keen to hear from anyone who may have noticed a strange vehicle in Foxford on Sunday.
Speaking to The Mayo News on Monday, Cllr Jimmy Maloney from Foxford expressed his dismay at the incident, which he said was ‘shocking’ and had ‘completely disgusted people in the town’. “It’s a crying shame. People are afraid. The day of being safe in the country is gone.”
Another concerned resident, Tom Joyce, said he was sorry to hear about the assault. “Life in a small town in the west of Ireland shouldn’t be like that,” he commented. “Foxford is a law-abiding community where most people know each other. Incidents such as this never happen here.”
The victim was described by locals as a quiet, unassuming man, who never said a bad word to anyone. He lives alone in the town and has worked there all his life.