Manhunt under way after attack on garda

GARDAÍ are hunting for two foreign nationals following a “sinister” attack on an unarmed garda.

The two, who were driving a green Toyota, were spotted acting suspiciously by the garda while on patrol in a rural area of north Cork at around 6.30pm on Thursday.

He signalled them to pull over in the Mourneabbey area but they drove south for several miles, reaching speeds of up to 100km/h on narrow country roads.

They eventually stopped their car on an isolated road in the townland of Kilquane, near Rathduff village, on the northern outskirts of Cork city.

But the men, one of whom had a knife, rushed the garda as he got out of his patrol car to question them. They threw him into a ditch, stood on and crushed his mobile phone, and slashed the front tyres of his vehicle before escaping.

The garda, who is based in Mallow, went to a nearby house to raise the alarm. His attackers drove off towards Cork city and were still on the run last night.

The garda, who is in his mid-20s with about six years’ service, was uninjured but was badly traumatised.

Superintendent Pat McCarthy described it as a very sinister incident and he appealed to the public for assistance.

“This was a blatant attack on a uniformed and unarmed member of the gardaí going about his duty.”

The two suspects were driving a green Toyota car, registration number 98-W-2449, which gardaí believe was a false plate.

The men are aged between 20 and 23, with sallow skin and of strong build. They spoke a foreign, possibly eastern European, language.

One of the men is about 6ft 1in tall and was wearing combat trousers and a navy top. The other is about 5ft 9in or 10in tall and was wearing jeans and a khaki hoodie.

Gardaí from the Mallow and Gurranabraher districts are co-ordinating as part of the investigation.

Cork-based Supt Barry McPolin appealed for anyone who may have seen the car or the men to contact gardaí in Mallow on 022-21105 or gardaí in Gurranabraher on 021-4946 200.

Meanwhile, Garda patrols have been stepped up in the north Cork area in recent weeks after a spate of burglaries on private homes.

Gardaí advised householders to ensure their homes are secure or monitored by a neighbour if they are unoccupied for any period.