Gardaí arrest teenagers over attack on Cork taxi driver

Police detain 18 and 16 year olds in early morning raids in Cork city

Gardaí investigating a vicious attack on a taxi driver in Cork city last month have arrested two teenagers for questioning about the assault and robbery.

John Forde (59) was repeatedly punched around the head and dragged from his taxi by two young men he had picked up in the early hours of September 19th.

Mr Forde was just about to drop the two young men off at an address in the Ballyvolane area of Cork’s northside when the two men turned on him and began attacking him.

They dragged him from his taxi, stole € 50 and then drove off in the taxi which was later found crashed in the Kinvara Close area of Dublin Hill.

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This morning gardaí from Mayfield and Watercourse Road Garda Stations arrested two teenagers aged 18 and 16 in the Blackpool area of Cork city.

The two youths were arrested under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows gardaí detain suspects for up to 24 hours before being charged or released.

The 18-year-old was brought to Mayfield Garda Station where he is detained for questioning while the 16-year-old was brought to Gurranebraher Garda Station for questioning.

Speaking on Cork’s 96FM Opinion Line, Mr Forde said he feared that he was going to be killed after he was repeatedly punched around the head.

“I thought I was going to be killed - I really thought I was going to die on the spot,” said Mr Forde who suffered a fractured eye socket in the assault.

Barry Roche

Barry Roche

Barry Roche is Southern Correspondent of The Irish Times