Would-be con artist caught out by CCTV

A scam involving a man faking a road accident has been caught on camera on a busy Limerick street.

Dressed in dark clothing, the con artist walks from a food store and then lays down on the middle of the road, roaring for help and pretending he was hit by a passing car.

The incident happened at 5.37pm on Thursday last, and the fraudster begins his act after leaving Gleeson’s Spar shop on the corner of Catherine St and Glentworth St.

Unknown to him, his movements inside the store and on leaving the store are fully captured by the elaborate CCTV system installed at Gleeson’s.

Shane Gleeson said: “Some of our staff noticed him acting strangely after leaving the store, where he had bought milk.

“On the street he nearly walks into the side of a van and then he proceeds to cross to go down Catherine St. As he does so a BMW car driven by a woman drives around the corner and proceeds down Glentworth St.

“It does not touch him. But after it passes he walks two paces backwards onto the road and very carefully and slowly sits on the middle of the road and then lays fully down. He then starts roaring.

“Meanwhile what appears to be some friends of his who are standing nearby and who do not go to his assistance, tell him to lay down and they would get an ambulance. One tells him ‘it would be worth a fortune’.”

Mr Gleeson said the whole affair was captured on their security system.

After a short time an ambulance arrived and Mr Gleeson said it remained for about 25 minutes before taking the fake victim off to hospital.

Mr Gleeson said: “It was clearly a con job and I have given the CCTV to the gardaí at Henry St and I have told them I will give a statement if they need one.”

A Garda spokesman said they were viewing the CCTV given to them by Mr Gleeson.