Woman held after ‘gun’ alert near crèche
Armed gardaí swooped on the apartment complex at Greystones, Co Wicklow, after they received a call about the woman.
Staff at the Park Academy Childcare facility at Edengate evacuated the children to a secure location during what gardaí described as a “frightening” incident for the staff and children.
“Staff at the crèche looked out at a woman in the apartment opposite,” said a Garda source.
“She was heavily intoxicated and they saw her on the balcony brandishing what turned out to be a toy gun.”
The woman was apparently roaring abuse from her apartment, which could be heard by staff in the crèche.
The woman kept going into her apartment and back out to her balcony, behaving in an irrational manner.
It was when she was seen holding and waving what appeared to be a gun that staff became alarmed and rang the police.
Garda units from Greystones and Bray were dispatched to the scene and entered the apartment complex. They accessed the woman’s apartment and discovered her in a severely drunken state.
She was abusive to officers and behaving in an unstable way.
Gardaí tried their best to calm her down and make sure she did not injure herself or any of the officers.
The gun she was brandishing turned out to be a toy gun.
“She was heavily intoxicated and there appear to be significant mental health issues involved,” said a Garda source.
It is understood the woman is Russian.
She was arrested and taken to Bray Garda Station. Doctors were called to examine her mental condition.
Officers are now conducting inquiries into her background and attempting to contact any medical professionals who may have been in contact with her.
It is not yet clear whether any criminal charges will be brought. Gardaí may decide to leave the mental health services assess her.
“It was frightening for staff and others there, understandably given some of the incidents people hear about,” said a Garda source.
“But she was not menacing staff or children directly nor was she ever in the proximity of the crèche.”
