Elderly punter helps staff foil three-man armed raid on bookie’s

Gardaí in Cork are searching for a three-man armed gang who fled empty-handed from a bookie’s shop near the city at the weekend when they were foiled during a raid by staff and an elderly customer.

The three, wearing balaclavas and gloves and armed with two hammers and what looked like a shotgun, entered the Bar One bookie's shop at Crestfield in Glanmire at about 6.30pm on Saturday.

One of the raiders jumped over the counter while another came around the side and threatened a staff member with a hammer as they demanded the day’s takings from the tills.

The staff member challenged the raiders and was assisted by an elderly customer who came behind the counter to help, despite having the gun pointed at him.

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The customer wrestled one of the raiders before chasing him and his companion out of the shop, throwing a chair at them before kicking out at the last of the raiders as he fled.

It's believed the three men, who all had balaclavas, hoodies and gloves on, then sped from the scene in a high-powered black Audi car before gardaí arrived at the shop after the alarm was raised.

Gardaí said they are keeping an open mind on who might be behind the raid and have appealed to anyone in the Glanmire or Riverstown area who saw anything suspicious to contact them.

“They certainly looked the part with their balaclavas but they weren’t long running away when it was put up to them, so you’d have to wonder how experienced they were,” said one garda.

Gardaí have appealed to anyone who has information or saw anything suspicious in the area between 6pm and 7pm on Saturday to contact them at Mayfield Garda station on 021-4558510.