Petrol attack ‘never happened’

A YOUTH who claimed he had been doused in petrol and set alight in a late-night mugging has told gardaí the incident never happened.

Yesterday, gardaí, investigating what appeared to have been a brutal attack on Barrack Street in Cork early yesterday morning, said they now believed the incident never took place.

Gardaí are still determined to establish the cause of burns to Mark O’Connell’s body and wish to question him further. The 17-year-old claimed the attack took place as he was making his way home having just finished babysitting.

He claimed he was making a detour to a chip shop at 3.30am when he was set upon by three men demanding money.

In his original statement he told gardaí the men doused him in a flammable liquid and set him alight when he said he had no money.

According to his mother, the youth received burns to his neck and hands and was undergoing treatment at Cork University Hospital.

“One of the guys went to hit him and when he ducked the punch, they threw petrol at him and just set him alight. He was on fire,” his mother said.

Yesterday, gardaí had the scene of the alleged attack at the junction of Barrack Street and Dean Street examined by their technical bureau.