Garda attacked with ahammer

May 1991

A gang of Dublin youths who attacked a Blessington Garda with a hammer during a drunken rampage last weekend were arrested by a joint Garda-civilian search of the countryside sur- rounding the Woodend area of Blessington early on Sunday morning.

A Blessington detective received injuries to his arm after he was attacked by four young men, one of them wielding a hammer, and three young girls who he intercepted during a crime spree.

He was saved from further serious injury by a fourth girl who was with the gang but wrestled the hammer away from one of the youth during the viscous attack.

Two members of the public who arrived on the scene while the attack took place also prevented the gang from inflicting further harm to the detective.

The drunken rampage began early on Sunday morning when four young men and four girls took a Nissan Bluebird from outside a home in Valleymount.

The drove the car to Lacken where they robbed a shop.

Two miles down the road they ended up crashing the stolen vehicle. After attacking the detective, they robbed a four-wheel drive and were chased in the direction of Manor Kilbride.

The gang then tried to flee on foot but were apprehended by gardai from Blessington, Naas, Baltinglass and Dublin.