Raiders apologise after beating wrong man

FOUR masked men, one armed with a handgun, burst into a house and started beating up the occupant — then apologised after realising they had the wrong man.

But the raiders, after locking the unfortunate victim in the bathroom, still stole his mobile phone and other personal items before fleeing the house in Skerries, north Co Dublin.

Gardaí believe the attack by the four-man gang on Thursday night, who also had other weapons, was drugs-related.

“That would be the first line of inquiry. Either it was someone looking for payment or they were vigilantes,” said one garda.

Detectives are trying to establish who the intended victim was and believe he lives locally. They want to get in touch with him, to warn him.

However, the garda said: “The intended victim probably knows these people are after him.”

Inspector Sean Galway, of Balbriggan station, said the victim of the attack suffered cuts to his face and needed stitches.

He said: “It was a terrible experience for the unfortunate man. We interviewed him this morning (Friday). They hit him first then they discovered they had the wrong man. They apologised to him before locking him in the bathroom.”

Inspector Galway described the attack as a sinister type of crime, particularly as the gang members were armed and the raid well executed, apart from the fact they got the wrong house.