Motorcyclists steal €20,000 after contractor held at gunpoint

TWO armed men wearing motorcycle helmets smashed the window of a jeep and at gunpoint forced it's owner to hand over more than €20,000 in Cork city yesterday afternoon.

The plastering contractor had just pulled up near his home on the North side of the city yesterday afternoon when the raiders pounced.

They walked up to his four wheel drive while he was still inside and one of them smashed in a side window and pointed a firearm at the businessman.

The robbers then told him to hand over the cash which he was preparing to pay out in wages to his workers.

"They demanded the cash and when they got it, they fled from the scene on foot," a senior garda spokesman said.

The robbery happened near the contractors' home at Ardmore Avenue, Knocknaheeny at 2.55pm. The robbers ran down steps leading to Fota Lawn and onto Kilmore Road where they had stashed the wine coloured motorcycle.

"No shots were fired and nobody was injured, but the victim was obviously shocked by what happened," a garda spokesman said.

Gardaí believed the robbers could have been hanging around the Ardmore Avenue area for some time before the contractor arrived.

While gardaí would only confirm the raiders' haul was "substantial", it is believed to have been in excess of 20,000 euro in cash.

Both raiders were wearing dark coloured motorcycle helmets and motorcycle type clothing.

Gardaí say they were athletic and probably in their late teens or 20s.

Detectives and uniformed gardaí carried out house enquiries in the area last night and the scene was examined by forensic experts.

"We're very anxious to hear from anybody who may have noticed these men in the Ardmore Avenue area. They should have stood out as they were wearing motorcycle helmets on a hot day but didn't have a motorbike with them at the time," the garda spokesman said.

He added that gardaí were anxious to hear from anybody who may have seen the high powered motorcycle driving around the northside of the city after the robbery.

A spokesman for the garda press office said business people shouldn't carry large amounts of cash with them where possible.

Anybody with information is asked to ring the detective branch at Gurranebraher at 021-4395540.