Ambush or deal of a Good Samaritan

November 2003

A Good Samaritan who stopped to help an apparently injured man was ambushed and had his car stolen by a daring gang of thieves outside Ballycanew on Tuesday last week.

[NAME WITHELD], a 35-year-old father from Courtown, was driving from Ballycanew to Killenagh around 4 p.m. when was stopped at Coolook Bridge by two men, one of whom was lying on the ground.

‘I braked as there was no way of getting around him,’ recalled a shocked [NAME], speaking after his ordeal.

‘ The other guy came up shouting that his friend had broken his leg but as he opened my door he yelled ‘Get out of the f ***in car’.’

[NAME] was restrained in his seat while two men who had been hiding in the ditch came up from behind. They then dragged him from his car and threw him into the road.

The four men, aged between 17 and 20, then hopped in the car and sped off towards Ballygarrett.

[NAME] attempted to follow the gang in a jeep that stopped to help him, but they were going too fast.

A Nissan was later stolen in Blackwater, possibly by the same gang.

A car with false plates, stolen in Northern Ireland, was also recovered outside Ballycanew.

The man’s Mondeo was discovered yesterday (Tuesday) by a local woman at Ballyconnigar Upper, Blackwater, and was returned to him later that evening.

Gardai are continuing their investigations into the movements and actions of the gang and would like to hear from anybody who may relevant information.