Two held after man suffers broken legs in iron bar attack

Two young men remain in custody in Cork in connection with an assault in which a man suffered two broken legs during an attempted van theft.

Detectives at Gurranebraher Garda station are continuing to question a 19-year-old and a 24-year-old about the attack on the man in the Churchfield area of the city around 5pm yesterday.

The victim, who is in his late 30s, disturbed two men trying to break into his van at the Exchange Business Park on John F Connolly Rd in Churchfield.

They attacked him and the man tried to defend himself with an iron bar. The two men grabbed the bar from him and proceeded to beat him around the head and body with the bar.

It’s understood the men took it in turns to beat the victim with the bar and he suffered a broken arm, two broken legs, broken fingers as well as lacerations to the head and body.

The alarm was raised and the man was brought to Cork University Hospital where he is understood to be in a stable condition in intensive care with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

Gardaí were alerted and arrested a 19-year-old man and a 24-year-old man a short distance from the scene of the attack. They also recovered the iron bar they believed was used in the attack.

The two men were arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows gardaí detain suspects for up to 24 hours and they were taken to Gurranebraher Garda station for questioning.

Garda technical experts carried out a forensic examination of the scene of the attack as well as of the vehicle which gardaí believe the two men were attempting to steal when they were disturbed.

Gardaí hoping to take a formal statement from the injured party when doctors deem he is fit to be interviewed.

Meanwhile they have appealed for anyone who may have witnessed the assault or noticed any suspicious activity in the area to contact them at Gurranebraher Garda station on 021-4946200.

Gardai are anxious to speak to anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in the Exchange Business Park on John F Connolly Road in Churchfield between 4.45pm and 5pm.