Gang attacked ‘wrong man’
The man was beaten after four men armed with a sawn-off shotgun, knives and baseball bats entered a property in Cork city about 5am on Sunday.
But gardaí believe he was not their intended target. It is understood he had been renting the flat for a short period and that the previous occupant was the gang’s intended target.
The victim suffered wounds to his head and required stitches and, although badly traumatised, he was not seriously injured.
The victim lived in one of three flats in the house on Mary Street, between George’s Quay and Douglas Street. The gang entered two of the flats before beginning the attack.
Neighbours reported a disturbance and gardaí rushed to the scene.
The gang tried to escape when they discovered their mistake but they were all arrested close to the scene.
One man was arrested in a yard to the rear of the property within minutes. The three others, who escaped over walls and roofs, were arrested about an hour later in a premises nearby.
They were still in custody in Mayfield and Bridewell garda stations last night as gardaí continued their investigations and tried to establish a motive for the attack.
The four in custody are in their mid 20s and early 30s. They were all arrested under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.
