Gardaí in Limerick have confirmed they are investigating an alleged assault on the mother of Liam Keane, the man at the centre of a collapsed murder trial in Dublin last week.
However, they have ruled out reports that the alleged attack may have been an abduction attempt, describing such claims as a "speculative".
One garda source confirmed a report had been received of an alleged assault on Mrs Margaret Keane at around 2.10 a.m. this morning. He confirmed the alleged victim to be the mother of Liam Keane.
Mrs Keane was said to have been attacked by men outside her home in Ballysimon, Limerick. She had been returning from a night out with two friends.The three pulled up outside Mrs Keane's home in a taxi at around 2.10 a.m. and she got out. As she was walking to her door, three masked and armed men allegedly attacked her.
Mrs Keane's screams were apparently heard by one of her companions and the taxi returned to the house. The three men then fled the scene, according to gardai.
One senior garda said they were not working on any definite line of inquiry at the moment.
"We can't say it was an abduction attempt, because we just don't know that at this stage," he said.
Mrs Keane was badly bruised and suffering from shock. "She had very minor injuries but was obviously very shocked," the garda added.
Liam Keane, (19), Mrs Keane's son, was the defendant in a murder trial that collapsed in Dublin last week after a number of prosecution witnesses said they could not recall statements they gave to gardai. The Director of Public Prosecutions entered a nolle prosequi in the case, which means he has decided not to pursue the charges at this time.