Gardaí have arrested a man for questioning and are looking for two other suspects after a gang broke into a house in Cork city and attacked one of the occupants.
Three men wielding pick axe handles smashed windows at the property in Lagan Grove, Mayfield, at around 12.40am on Monday, before entering and beating a 31-year-old man, who needed hospital treatment for head injuries.
His partner and her two young children were in the house at the time and have been traumatised by the incident.
The gang fled soon after the attack, but gardaí who were on patrol in the area came to the scene and arrested a man (39) nearby.
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The arrested man, who is from Kanturk, Co Cork, was taken to Mayfield Garda station and detained under section four of the Criminal Justice Act, which allows gardaí to hold suspects for up to 24 hours.
He is also known to gardaí, who are trying to identify his accomplices.
The injured man later discharged himself from Cork University Hospital and gardaí were planning to speak to him on Monday to see if he would make a complaint.
Gardaí sealed off the scene and technical experts were carrying out an examination on Monday. Officers have started collecting CCTV footage from the area to try to identify the gang members, who were not wearing masks.
Anyone with any information about the incident is asked to contact Mayfield Garda station on 021 455-8510.
Gardaí are keen to speak to anyone who was in the Lagan Grove area of Mayfield between midnight and 1am on Monday.
Officers are also appealing to road users with dashcam footage and to pedestrians with camera recordings that could help the investigation to make it available.
