Man due in court after allegedly holding family at gunpoint

A 50-year-old man is due before a special court sitting in Ennis on Saturday morning following an incident where three people were allegedly held up by a balaclava-wearing gun man for almost two hours on Thursday night.

In the incident, it is alleged that the man held a father and daughter and the daughter’s boyfriend at gunpoint before the three overpowered the man, during which time the man’s shot-gun was discharged.

The father was working as a handyman on a country house near the Clare village of Sixmilebridge when he encountered the man, who was armed with the shot-gun and wearing a balaclava on the property of an elderly local couple.

The armed man could not get access to the home and allegedly held the handyman at gunpoint for almost one hour on the property outside the house.

When the work man didn’t return him home, his 27-year-old daughter and her 29-year-old boyfriend came to the property to see where the man was.

However, on arriving at the scene, it will be alleged that the gunman also held the two at gunpoint for almost one hour.

The gunman took phones and wallets from the three. It is believed that when he struck the boy-friend with the butt of the shotgun, all three over-powered the man during which time the shotgun was discharged.

No one suffered from any gunshot injuries though the daughter’s boyfriend did sustain minor injuries to his leg and head from the scuffle.

It will be alleged that the shotgun was stolen earlier yesterday from a Co Limerick farmer and that the house at Donnybrook at Sixmilebridge was chosen at random by the man.

After the struggle, the daughter rang the gardaí on 999 and the three held the man until the gardaí arrived.

He was subsequently arrested under Section 30 of the Offences Against the Person Act and brought to Shannon Garda Station.