Good Samaritan held at knifepoint by carjacker

A woman who offered a man a lift was held at knifepoint before her car was hijacked.

The incident occurred at about 7am yesterday at the village of Grenagh, some 20km north of Cork City.

Gardaí say the woman stopped her car — described as a dark-coloured, saloon- type car — to assist a man who was standing on the roadside.

It is understood that the victim stopped to offer the man a lift given yesterday morning’s cold and wet weather conditions.

The man then threatened her with a knife, ordered her out of the car, and then made off with the vehicle in the direction of Mallow.

The uninjured woman then notified gardaí, who discovered the vacant vehicle in a ditch on a road between the townlands of Glantane and Bweeng, south of Mallow, at around 10am.

A man in his early 20s was arrested a short distance away from where the car was found and was brought to Gurranabraher Garda Station where he was detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

Gardaí are appealing for anyone who may have seen the vehicle between 7.10am and 10am to contact Gurranabraher Garda Station on 021 4946200, or the Garda confidential line on 1800 666 111.