Gun suspect held after driving at 180kmh in bid to escape gardaí

GARDAÍ have reacted with “relief” that a manhunt which lasted for almost 48 hours has come to an end without someone being killed or seriously injured.

A 31-year-old remained in custody at Drogheda garda station last night after being arrested in the Hackballscross area of Co Louth at 6.15am.

He had been the subject of a massive manhunt on both sides of the Border since he was suspected of firing shots at a woman’s home in the Ardee area of Co Louth at 7am on Wednesday.

During some of the incidents while the manhunt was under way the criminal is suspected of driving at speeds of up to 180kmh on minor roads in a bid to escape from gardaí.

Sources said that his “crazy driving” led officers to abandon efforts to pursue him as it would have put the safety of the public and gardaí at “grave risk”.

During a 48-hour period, the suspect changed cars three times and on Thursday night he rammed a Garda patrol car in the Inniskeen area of Co Monaghan.

Officers later recovered this vehicle burnt out near Kells, Co Meath, and recovered a gun in this car.

By the time he was arrested in Co Louth yesterday, the suspect was in a third different car.

“What happened here was utter lunacy and a major Garda operation had to be put in place,” a senior Garda source said.

His eventual arrest followed what gardaí called an “intense” operation in the area, involving uniformed and plainclothes gardaí from Louth Garda divisions, supported by the Regional Armed Support Unit and national units.

The operation also included cross-Border co-operation with the PSNI.

Speaking at Drogheda garda station, Chief Superintendent Christy Mangan expressed his thanks to the public and community in Co Louth for their assistance and ongoing support.

Chief Supt Mangan also expressed his gratitude to his colleagues in Louth division.

The suspect has links to a major Co Meath-based drugs network but is not classified as a drugs trafficker himself.

The original shooting incident is not linked to the ongoing feud in nearby Drogheda which has led to one murder and dozens of serious crime incidents.

‘Crazy driving’ led officers to abandon efforts at pursuit