Gang member beats man with bat and steals his car

A MEMBER of a “ruthless and very violent gang” beat a householder around the head and body with a baseball bat and stole his car as they tried to evade gardaí after carrying out a string of robberies early yesterday.

The gang are believed to be responsible for a recent spate of robberies in Co Cork, which included one in Mallow three weeks ago when they locked two men in a container at the back of a service station.

Inspector Pat McCarthy said that at 3am yesterday a delivery driver noticed the front door of the Centra supermarket in Tallow, Co Waterford, was open. Armed gardaí from Fermoy were dispatched to the scene and came across a Tipperary-registered blue Volvo with four balaclava-wearing men in it.

They pursued the car in the direction of Lismore, but couldn’t keep up with it.

The gardaí went back to Tallow and as they examined the scene of the break-in the Volvo returned. They pursued it through Curraglass and Conna but were unable to keep up. The car was found abandoned a short time later in the village of Rathcormac.

However, a middle-aged man living in a local housing estate heard breaking glass at around 4.45am and went to investigate. As he approached his front door he was confronted by one of the gang, who was wearing a balaclava and carrying a torch and a baseball bat.

“The householder was hit around the head and the body a number of times. He had to be treated by a local doctor. After the raider fled the man noticed the keys to his car had been stolen,” Inspector McCarthy said.

The householder’s Volkswagen Passat was later found burnt out in Kilcock, Co Kildare. Garda technical experts were yesterday carrying out a detailed forensic examination of the Tipperary-registered Volvo.

Inspector McCarthy said gardaí discovered the gang had cut telecom cables in Tallow disabling the alarm at the Centra supermarket. They had also left a ladder outside. It is believed they were preparing to cut open the safe when they were disturbed by gardaí. It is understood they escaped with a few hundred euro in petty cash.

Inspector McCarthy said gardaí belive the gang is also responsible for a break-in at Carr’s fish processing factory in Curraglass.

“This is a ruthless and very violent gang. We are anxious to hear from anybody who may have been in the Tallow, Curraglass and Rathcormac areas and who may have seen any suspicious activity,” he added.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Fermoy gardaí at (025) 82100.