Four held after alleged robbery and attack on students

FOUR men were being held in two Garda stations in Cork city last night after an alleged aggravated burglary left two students in hospital.

The attack occurred at approximately 6am early yesterday morning in the Mount Pleasant Avenue area close to University College Cork. It is understood a gang of men broke into a house there and entered a number of rooms.

One of the occupants told family members he woke up to the men standing in his room.

He was beaten up, sustaining a suspected broke nose.

One of his housemates was stabbed in the back with what gardaí said was a knife or sharp implement. Others who lived in the house were not present when the incident happened.

Following the assaults, it is alleged a number of electrical items were taken from the house.

In spite of the injuries the two men managed to notify the emergency services and gardaí. Officers were quickly on the scene and detained four men within minutes of the attack.

They were last night being held in the Bridewell and Gurranabraher Garda Stations under section four of the Criminal Justice Act which allows gardaí to detain alleged offenders for up to 24 hours. Superintendent Barry McPolin said detectives and uniformed officers from Anglesea Street and Barrack Street Garda Stations were continuing to investigate the incident.

The two injured students, who are both in their third year at UCC, were taken to Cork University Hospital for treatment. They are not thought to have been seriously injured.

Gardaí have appealed for anyone who might have been in the area at the time of the incident or might have any information to contact them at Anglesea Street Garda Station at 021 4522000 or Barrack Street Garda Station at 021 4327300.