Garda car rammed following Cork raid

A gang rammed a garda car last night following a smash and grab in Co Cork.

The four raiders targeted a pharmacy in the west Cork village of Ballymakeera at around 11.45pm and smashed the front window of the premises.

They grabbed a quantity of items from the window display and escaped from the scene as the alarm went off.

The raiders fled and headed in the direction of Killarney.

Gardaí from Macroom had responded when the alarm went off and also alerted colleagues in Killarney, to ensure that both approach roads to Ballymakeera were targeted in the search for the raiders.

Two gardaí travelling from Killarney came across the gang on the N22 between Barraduff and Glenflesk, en route between Ballymakeera and Killarney.

Attempts to stop the raiders’ black car failed and its driver rammed the patrol car.

The raiders also produced a weapon, believed to be a sledgehammer.

They managed to flee from the scene and were still at large this morning.

The two gardaí in the patrol car were not injured, although the car has been seriously damaged.

It is known that the registration plates on the raiders’ car were false.

Gardaí in Mallow investigating an attempted break in at a house in Ballyhoura, near Buttevant, at around midday on Saturday are now liaising with gardaí investigating the Ballymakeera raid.

A small black car was also used in the Buttevant incident.

This story courtesy of the Evening Echo