Westport rampage compared to ‘the after-effects of a riot’

THE damage done to buildings and vehicles in Westport during a recent rampage has been compared to ‘the after-effects of a riot’. 

Twenty-one panes of glass were smashed when an individual vandalised several cars, a mini-bus, Mac Bride Community Nursing Unit, a library, and Westport Order of Malta’s premises at St John’s Place. 

A suspect was arrested and detained by gardaí, who are still investigating the matter. 

Speaking on Midwest Radio this morning, Westport Order of Malta member Eamon Berry described the aftermath of the rampage as ‘a frightening site’ that resembled ‘the after-effects of a riot’. 

“It’s an incredibly quiet area, the Mac Bride home, the HSE nursing home is directly in front of that area. To think something like that could happen in a very quiet residential area and at the same time a town centre location, it’s really difficult to comprehend what thought process was going through the perpetrator or perpetrators’ mind that they think they can justify this type of behaviour,” he said. 

Mr Berry claimed the incident would instil fear in the area, where the ‘vast majority’ of residents are pensioners. 

“I think we have to work really hard and I think our local authority, Mayo County Council have to step up here and have a long hard look at what happened. Is there something that we should be doing or we need to do or we haven’t done?” he said.

“It’s not the first time we’ve had windows broken, we’ll get over it. My very big concern is the vulnerable adults and our senior citizens. It’s a big part of the Order of Malta is respect for our senior citizens, our methodology and the way we try and work is how can we make your day better today. And last night is going to have done an awful lot of psychological damage.

“There is nothing worse than fear in people, and I am really fearful that it will put fear into people, what happened last night,” he concluded. 

Local county councillor, Peter Flynn, condemned the incident, saying: “This type of criminal behaviour is shocking and has to be eliminated. All of the damage to the Order of Malta building and multiple vehicles is terrible but for the people in the HSE residential unit to be awoken in the middle of the night to glass coming in on them is shocking.”