Elderly couple traumatised by ordeal during robbery

GARDAÍ IN Waterford will today continue their investigations into a raid on the home of an elderly couple, who were tied up during the robbery.

The couple, Nicky and Kathleen Dunphy, who are in their late 70s, were tied up by a gang of three men armed with a hammer and a hatchet on Monday evening.

The raiders, wearing baseball caps and scarves entered the couple’s house – a bungalow at the Saleens or the Backstrand as it is known locally – some time between 9pm and 9.30pm on Monday.

The men, who were yesterday described as being 5ft 7in to 5ft 11in, ransacked the house and allegedly assaulted the couple. The couple are also reported to have had cash stolen in a previous incident.

One of the raiders is said to have been armed with a hammer, while another had a hatchet during the raid on the house, located at a secluded area between Dunmore East and Tramore. Mr and Mrs Dunphy were tied to chairs and the raiders demanded money from them.

Mrs Dunphy freed herself after the raiders fled and managed to make her way to a neighbour’s house to raise the alarm.

The couple were not injured but were traumatised and were being looked after by family yesterday.

Waterford city Garda Supt Chris Delaney yesterday appealed to the public for information regarding the raid.

He said: “There is a significant Garda investment in this crime and we will be carrying out inquiries today and again tomorrow.

“Teams of gardaí are carrying out house-to-house inquiries; we are looking for information regarding vehicles in the area and we are asking people who noticed anything suspicious recently to contact us.”

Garda Supt Delaney confirmed the couple “were victims of crime” in the past. “We are taking this very seriously and we are putting a lot of resources into finding these culprits.  These are elderly people and this is pretty horrific for people at this stage in their lives.”   A neighbour of the Dunphys yesterday described the raid as “absolutely disgraceful”.

He added: “Men called around to them before and [one man] pretended he was working with the council’s water services and robbed them.”

Waterford Sinn Féin councillor Pat Fitzgerald said the couple “are traumatised but okay”. “I believe that every incident like this makes older people in our community more nervous,” he said.