Two men arrested by gardaí after high-speed chase in city

TWO men were being questioned by gardaí in Cork last night after a high-speed pursuit through the city.

They were arrested near Glanmire after a car crashed following a burglary at the home of an elderly couple.

Both men, one in his mid-40s and the other in his early-20s, and with addresses in Dublin, were arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and are being questioned at the Bridewell Garda Station. They can be held for up to 24 hours.

The men were arrested after gardaí were alerted to an incident at the home of an elderly couple in the High Street area of the city.

Two men called to the house at around 1.20pm and gained entry after asking to read a water meter.

While one man distracted the couple at the rear of the house, a second man went upstairs and searched several rooms.

The men were disturbed by a relative of the couple and they fled the scene with a substantial amount of cash and some property.

However, an alert member of the public spotted the suspicious activity and contacted gardaí.

He then followed the raiders as they sped off in a green 02-DL registered Vauxhall Astra.

Several garda units from Anglesea Street and the Mayfield division, as well as the specialised armed Garda Regional Support Unit, responded.

They followed the car through the city centre, along the Glanmire Road to the Dunkettle Interchange, and on to the main Cork to Dublin Road, before the raiders’ car crashed on the outskirts of Glanmire.

One man was arrested at the scene. A second man was arrested a short time later in a nearby field.

Some of the property was recovered. Gardaí were last night conducting searches for the other stolen property, and were also conducting a technical examination of the car.

Supt Barry McPolin said the incident highlights the dangers of bogus callers. He urged people, especially the elderly, not to allow callers into their homes if they are in any way suspicious, and to contact gardaí immediately if they have any concerns.

He also praised the alert member of the public who, he said, “went beyond the call of duty” to help vulnerable members of society.