'Joyrider' ramming of Garda car was 'retaliation' for detention of drivers 

Gardaí suspect incident was retaliation for three young gang members who were put in custody after breaking bail conditions

Footage captured two vehicles tearing up and down Cherry Orchard at about 7.30pm, roared on by a large group of teenagers, young children and young adults

Gardaí suspect the latest terrifying incident of so-called joyriding in West Dublin was “retaliation” from a gang, members of which have recently been jailed for breaking curfews.

The driving chaos on the streets of Cherry Orchard in Ballyfermot on Monday evening was recorded and circulated on social media, sparking outrage and shock, including from Justice Minister Helen McEntee.

The footage captured two vehicles tearing up and down Cherry Orchard at about 7.30pm, roared on by a large group of teenagers, young children and young adults.

Garda associations are particularly concerned for the welfare of two members — young female officers — who were in a sole response car which was rammed by one of two stolen vehicles.

As per Garda directions, they fled the scene in case their car was immobilised and sought back-up. They were uninjured but are said to be traumatised.

It is understood Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has raised the incident internally. 

He described the incident as "disgraceful" and "very concerning" and has warned others not to engage in copycat activities.

Mr Harris said the public order unit had now been sent to the Cherry Orchard area in Dublin in the wake of the incident.

Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships in Co Laois, Mr Harris said: "It's a disgraceful and a very concerning incident. I'm glad to report that the two Garda members in the vehicle were uninjured and were able to summon assistance, which quickly arrived to help them to restore order in the Cherry Orchard area. But overall, I would say there's been vigorous policing operations in that area over the last number of weeks.

"There's a full investigation underway, but also then we have to look to tonight and the subsequent nights as well and the public order unit has been stood up," he said.

"We would ask the community for information in respect of who they may suspect or saw involved in this behaviour."

The commissioner added that a number of arrests had been made in recent weeks and vehicles had been seized in the area to combat anti-social behaviour.

Asked if he was concerned others may copy the behaviour because it has gone viral on social media, Mr Harris said: "I really would encourage people not to get engaged in copycat incidents because we'll deal with the situation as we find it, we'll mount an investigation and perpetrators will be brought to justice. So, if you get involved in copycat incidents you risk getting a criminal record.

"Beyond that, then you create danger for yourself and your local community. So, there will always be an enforcement response to this type of behaviour."

The area has been dogged by the reckless driving of stolen cars, with spikes last January, when locals reported six nights of cars being robbed and burned out, and five nights in the course of a week last July.

A Garda operation was put in place and seven local young males were identified. They were arrested and charged. They were given bail conditions and curfews, beginning at 9pm.

Gardaí have since brought three of them back before the courts for breaching bail conditions and they were placed in custody.

“A few of them regrouped and Monday was retaliation,” said one Garda source.

Local gardaí now have the task of connecting the drivers to the stolen vehicles. Gardaí know where they were stolen and will try and identify footage that might reveal who got into them.

Gardaí said it was too dangerous to engage in pursuit of the vehicles, given not only the age of the drivers, but the risk to onlookers, mostly children, gathered on the streets and footpaths.

“There is no doubt this is horrible, horrendous for locals there,” said a Garda source. “One of the difficulties is we can’t chase them or start playing bumper cars. If we chase them and they knock someone down or the driver crashes and is killed and he’s 14, GSoc will take a very particular line.”

Local Sinn Féin councillor Daithí Doolan, chairman of the Dublin South Central Joint Policing Committee, said residents were "terrorised and traumatised" and demanded a Government-led response and proper resourcing for local gardaí.

President of the Garda Representative Association Brendan O’Connor said: “The gardaí who respond are possibly in a vehicle that is not suitable, there's an issue around driver training, so I commend the driver. 

"A lot of the time now, we see two inexperienced young gardaí, on their own with no backup available, sent to establish the facts and when they go, what they are confronted with is extreme danger, extreme violence and attacks and they do not have the capacity to respond.” 

Ms McEntee said any assault on gardaí was “unacceptable and utterly disrespectful of the rule of law and the law-abiding community”.