Bookmaker raiders could be behind Taser attack on jewellers
Three members of the gang burst into Cashman’s bookmakers in Douglas village at 10.10am yesterday.
Two of them, armed with handguns, attacked the branch manager in a show of unnecessary and totally unprovoked violence.
It mirrored, to a lesser extent, the attack last month on diamond dealer Hugh Fitzgibbon at Victoria Antiques in Oliver Plunkett Street.
He ended up in hospital after three men burst into the shop and attacked him with Tasers and a stun gun, before making off with a substantial haul of jewellery.
During yesterday’s robbery, a third member of the gang — armed with a baton — stood guard inside the entrance to the bookmakers as his accomplices beat the manager around the head and chest.
The victim, in his mid-40s, was badly bruised, although he didn’t require hospital treatment.
Another member of staff, in his mid-20s, escaped injury.
Superintendent Barry McPolin, who is leading the garda investigation, said detectives were looking at the possibility that the gang might be the same that struck at Victoria Antiques.
The men, who had Eastern European accents, got away with a small sum of money from the bookmakers after fleeing in a car which was driven by a fourth man.
“They were only around two minutes in the premises before they left. They fled in a wine-coloured Rover 600 which is a four-door saloon,” Supt McPolin said.
He added that the car sped through the Tesco car park at Douglas Village Shopping Centre where it collided with a barrier.
“As a result, the front number plate fell off. This will distinguish the car and we hope that members of the public may remember seeing it. They might also see a car fitting that description parked somewhere and, if they do, we would appreciate if they would contact gardaí immediately,” the superintendent said.
All four members of the gang wore tights over their faces. They also wore different types of hats.
The disguises bear some similarities to the robbery at Victoria Antiques on June 10 when the men wore wigs.
Gardaí carried out a technical examination of the building yesterday in an attempt to find clues to the identities of the robbers.
A spokesman for Cashman’s Bookmakers said that the premises was reopened shortly after noon.
Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses to contact Douglas Garda Station at 021 4891115.
