Manhunt after woman abducted by carjacker

GARDAÍ have launched a major manhunt after a young woman travelling to work was abducted at knifepoint from a garage.

The woman pulled into a Texaco service station in Fermoy, Co Cork, at around 7am yesterday.

Just as she was preparing to leave, a man jumped into the passenger seat and put a knife against her chest.

He demanded she drive her Toyota Yaris in the direction of the Cork city.

However, a few minutes later, he told her to turn off the main Cork-Dublin road 1.5 kilometres south of the village of Rathcormac, at a place known locally as Dr Barry’s Bridge.

The woman feared for her life and jumped from the car. As she started to flag down passing traffic, her abductor drove off at high speed in her green car.

Inspector Pat McCarthy said: “A car with two men in it stopped and after she explained what had happened, they quickly took off in pursuit.”

The men called gardaí and a patrol car was dispatched to the scene. But there was no sign of the Yaris by the time they reached Watergrasshill.

Inspector McCarthy believes the abductor may have left the main road and driven across country, through Glenville, Ballyhooly or Killavullen, because the car was found abandoned near Mallow Golf Club at 9am.

“The left front wheel was punctured and that’s probably why the car was abandoned,” Inspector McCarthy said.

He said that while the woman, who is believed to be from Mitchelstown, was not physically harmed, she was traumatised by the ordeal.

“We are treating this very seriously because we don’t really know what the motive was. But if she hadn’t jumped out of the car we could have been facing a very serious incident. It is imperative that we apprehend this culprit as soon as possible,” the inspector said.

He said the abductor spoke broken English and was probably of Eastern European origin.

He is approximately five feet, five inches and is around 30 years of age.

The woman said he was stocky, with a large stomach and shaven hair. He was wearing a dark-coloured padded jacket.

Gardaí were last night examining CCTV footage from the service station and carrying out a forensic examination of the car.

“We are anxious to speak to anyone who was in the service station from 6.30am to 7am and who may have seen this man.

We are also seeking information from anybody who might have seen the car after it left Fermoy or when it was abandoned in Mallow,” Inspector McCarthy said.

Anybody with information should contact Fermoy garda station - 025 82100 or their local garda station.