Elderly woman beaten and robbed at home by three-man gang

AN elderly woman is recovering from a horrific and brutal ordeal where she was beaten and locked in a bathroom while a three-man gang ransacked and robbed her home.

During the incident in the early hours of last Friday morning, the woman, in her 60s, received a blow to the head.

The woman, who lived alone at Cappagh near Sixmilebridge in Co Clare, was left traumatised as thieves took a considerable amount of valuables along with her comprehensive DVD and CD collections.

The victim had been sleeping upstairs when she was woken by intruders.

After going to investigating she was confronted by three masked men in her kitchen.

One of them her on the head and demanded cash. The terrified woman was then locked in a toilet while the men ransacked her home for over an hour.

The gang, who wore dark clothing and had their faces covered, stole jewellery including chains, bracelets, watches as well as four 38-piece box-sets of bone china, crystal and other property. Gardaí have appealed to anyone who was in the Cappagh area of Sixmilebridge to assist them in their inquiries.

“This is a very serious incident and while this woman did receive a blow to the head, she did not require hospitalisation. She has however been left very traumatised by the incident and frightened by the terrible ordeal she suffered.

“Gardaí would ask anyone who was in the area of Cappagh Sixmilebrige between 12.15am and 1.20am on Friday and saw anybody behaving suspiciously to come forward. These men obviously arrived in some form of transport and someone may have spotted something.”