Clare gardaí ‘delighted’ with foiled robbery of man (95)

A senior Garda has said he is “delighted” the force were able to foil the attempted burglary of a 95-year-old man near Ennis on Friday afternoon.

Chief Supt John Kerin of Ennis Garda Station was commenting on the major Garda operation which led to the arrest of the four men shortly before 4pm yesterday.

Chief Supt Kerin said: “We are delighted with the operation and it sends a message to the public that the Garda are deploying the resources to stopping such burglaries taking place.”

Chief Supt Kerin described how the son of the 95-year-old man was lured away from the home of his father on false pretences by an individual yesterday.

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The senior Garda said that after the son was lured away, two other individuals were about to enter the home.

However, the pair noticed gardaí as they were about to enter the house and tried to escape but were apprehended by gardaí after a chase by foot across a couple of fields. The 95-year-old man was left unharmed.

Chief Supt Kerin said that a fourth man was arrested in a nearby car and two cars were seized in the operation.

The four individuals from Limerick were arrested as part of Operation Thor and were brought to Ennis and Shannon garda stations.

Two are aged in their 30s, one is in his 40s and one is in his teens and all are expected to be brought before a special sitting of Ennis District Court later on Saturday.

Chief Supt Kerin said: “It is the first such alleged burglary of a old person in Co Clare for quite a long time and we are very happy to have stopped it as it was about to take place.”

Chief Supt Kerin said that “significant Garda resources” were involved, comprising of guards from the Limerick and Clare divisions supported by the Emergency Response Unit along with two other national units.

Chief Supt Kerin said: “It was an intelligence-led operation but we didn’t have the specifics.”