Rapist flees two ‘hitmen’ at family’s halting site

A man convicted of two rapes fled through the fields after his brother saw two "hitmen" on a motorcycle gunning for him.

Gardaí are searching for the men after they drove up to a halting site in a remote part of Co Cork yesterday looking for Patrick ‘Lo Lo’ O’Driscoll, who is from the Traveller community.

He was at his family’s halting site in Coombe, Glenville shortly before 2pm yesterday when his brother spotted a motorcycle approaching and claimed one of the men on it was armed with a handgun. O’Driscoll, who had also seen them approaching, fled through nearby fields from the halting site, which is 4km west of Glenville, where he lives with his elderly mother.

O’Driscoll was released from the Midlands Prison last month after serving 11 years of a 17-year sentence for the rape of a woman in Fermoy, Co Cork.

The 47-year-old attacked the woman shortly after being released from prison after serving a previous 12-year sentence for the rape of another woman in Kilkenny.

Gardaí were quickly on the scene and sent patrol cars from different areas to corner the alleged hitmen, but despite substantial searches were unable to find them in the warren of byroads in the area.

Later, they discovered a “powerful motorcycle” burnt out in a forest clearing off the main Glenville-Ballyhooly road, about 8km north of Ballyhooly. It is being forensically examined.

Uniformed gardaí and armed detectives combed the area last night looking for the men and the investigation is ongoing.

One woman, who did not wish to be identified, said locals had been living in fear since O’Driscoll returned there after being released from prison on July 9.

“People, especially women, are very concerned by the whole thing,” said the woman.

“There are a lot of isolated houses in this very quiet, rural area. This latest incident highlights our concerns even more.”

Gardaí have been keeping a close eye on O’Driscoll since he arrived back at the halting site, sometimes visiting him up to three times a day, and he has signed on the sex offenders’ register.

Several garda sources have previously claimed that he is one of the most dangerous men in the country.

One source described him “as a predator who’s especially dangerous to women and has a very high likelihood of reoffending”.

Gardaí said that they would not comment on any potential motive for the incident.

However, it was speculated locally that O’Driscoll was being warned to get out of Glenville by a local hardman.

Gardaí are looking for anybody who was in the area between 1pm and 3pm and who saw two men on a motorcycle, wearing dark clothing, to contact Fermoy Garda Station at 025 82100.