Gardaí wait to speak to kidnap victim Richard O’Donovan

Gardaí investigating the abduction of a man in Co Cavan, who has turned up alive after initial fears for his life, hope they may be able to speak to him as early as today.

A vehicle used by the abduction gang has been traced and gardaí are now working on a definite line of inquiry.

The victim was receiving medical attention last night following his ordeal. He was beaten by a group of attackers who rammed his car near his home on Tuesday afternoon and grabbed him as he tried to flee.

The gang bundled him into their 4x4 vehicle. He turned up at 10am yesterday.

Treatment required
Gardaí said that while his injuries were not life-threatening, he required treatment for cuts and bruising consistent with being assaulted.

The man was named as Richard O’Donovan (31), a separated father of three, of Virginia, Co Cavan. He is originally from Navan, Co Meath, but had been living in Co Cavan for some time. He had been living in Mullagh before moving to Virginia in recent months.

He was abducted at about 3.30pm on Tuesday in a residential area at Swiftbrook Glen, Virginia. He was in a blue/grey BMW 3 series car at the entrance to the estate when he was rammed by a silver BMW X5 4x4 vehicle.

The men in the 4x4 got out of it and chased Mr O’Donovan as he tried to run away. When they caught him, they beat him and bundled him into their vehicle before speeding away.

A number of people witnessed the violent incident and gardaí were alerted immediately. However, nothing was heard from Mr O’Donovan until he phoned gardaí at about 10am yesterday and was collected from a street in Cavan.

He spent yesterday in Cavan General Hospital.

Gang in west
Gardaí are trying to establish if a gang based in the west was responsible for his abduction as part of a dispute with him.

The gang’s 4x4 had an 03 MN registration and gardaí are asking anybody who saw the ramming incident, or who may have seen Mr O’Donovan in his car or the gang who attacked him, to come forward in confidence to Bailieboro Garda station on 042-969 4570.