‘THERE IS NO WAY I’D HAVE GOTTEN OUT ALIVE’
BUTCHERS DOUSED IN PETROL DURING BREAK-IN BUT RAIDER FLEES WITHOUT SETTING FIRE
EXTENSIVE damage was caused to a butchers in Rathdrum after it was broken into and doused with petrol in what the owner thinks was an effort to put him out of business.
CCTV footage shows a masked raider force his way into Moore’s Family Butchers in the early hours of Wednesday morning before proceeding to smash up a display counter and freezer.
The perpetrator then poured petrol all over the Main Street premises but fled before setting it alight, apparently having been disturbed.
Dermot Moore, the owner of the butchers, maintains that his business was deliberately targeted.
‘Someone is trying to stop me from doing trade. Not a single thing was stolen from the butcher shop. All they were interested in was smashing the place up and trying to start a fire. Whoever it was knew this was a busy time of the year for me. We are very busy with Christmas orders and the shop is full of stock, yet not a single item was stolen. Not even a €5 note was removed from the till.’
He is also fearful of what would have happened if the petrol had been set alight, especially as there are two residents living above the premises.
‘Dick Murphy and another man live upstairs. There is only a small, wooden floor separating the butcher shop from where they live. The whole shop was covered in petrol so it would have only taken one little spark to start the blaze. I don’t think they would have stood a chance.’
Dermot had been working in the butchers until just after 12.10 p.m.. The premises was broken into at 12.20 p.m., leading Gardai to suspect that the property and Mr Moore’s movements were being watched.
Dick Murphy heard some noise downstairs in the butchers at the time of the break-in but just assumed it was Mr Moore working. He was disgusted when he found out the shop could have been set on fire.
‘I live in the same building and I heard a bit of a disturbance but I thought it was just Dermot with some Christmas orders. If a blaze had been started there is no way I would have gotten out alive. Half the town could have been burnt down.’
This isn’t the first time Moore’s Family Butchers has been targeted. The property was broken into in 2015 and equipment damaged during the build-up to Christmas. That Christmas Eve a front window was also smashed.
This summer super-glue was placed on the front door locks.
Despite the setback, Mr Moore has taken heart with the amount of support he has received locally.
‘I have had a big network of support and I would like to thank everyone for their kind words. I will just knuckle-down and continue working away. Whoever carried this out are just thugs and bullies and I have little time for either.’
Anyone who may have witnessed any suspect behaviour on the night in question should contact Rathdrum Garda Station on (0404) 46206.