Any eyewitness who saw a cash-in-transit robbery said he first thought the hold up was a practical joke until he witnessed the security guard being sprayed in the eyes by his assailant.
The incident was one of two such robberies to take place in Dublin at around midday yesterday. Garda are appealing for information following the robbery in Tallaght Village yesterday, which took place outside Bank of Ireland shortly before midday. A caller to RT Radio s Liveline recalled how he witnessed the event.
At the Bank of Ireland there we were sitting in traffic and I just noticed this security van pulling in and the guy getting out with the box of money in his hand, said the caller, who gave his name as Patrick.
Next thing the guy who was with me in the car said: Look at your man across the road. This fella walks across in front of us with a hoodie and a baseball cap.
He got out of a silver Peugeot, walked across, and just sprayed pepper spray right into the security man s face, took the money, and walked back across the road, got into the car.
He proceeded to get away, they were going to head down towards Glenview.
As he got into the car and tried to get away, a guy behind me came flying out in a van and rammed the side of the car. So he had to drive up on the path to get away.
It delayed his getaway a good bit but he got away.
The caller said that he first noticed the assailant because he had his hood up over his head and had his face covered by a scarf.
At first I was thinking to myself he s messing, your man must know him, he s messing or something and then I saw the spray, said Patrick.
He got the spray straight into the face, a good amount of it.
I d say he was in no condition to do anything. Patrick further claimed that it took garda 15 to 20 minutes to respond to the call.
That could have been anything, an old person getting mugged or anything, said Patrick.
We haven t got enough police and they re not getting paid enough for the job they re doing. Meanwhile garda are appealing for information following a similar robbery in Finglas.
The incident occurred in Charlestown Shopping Centre shortly after midday yesterday, where a security officer was approached and confronted by a male who fled the scene on foot and into a waiting car with a cash box. No one was injured during the incident and a car was subsequently recovered on fire in the nearby North City Business Park. Garda say no arrests have been made to date and enquiries are ongoing.
Anyone with information on the robbery at Charlestown Shopping Centre is asked to contact Finglas Garda Station 01 6667500, while those with information on the incident at the Tallaght Bank of Ireland are urged to contact Tallaght Garda Station on 01 6666000.
Irish Examiner Ltd.
All rights reserved