The town of Mullingar was dealt another blow in the past week, when further scenes of unrestrained violence were seen in the Grange Crescent area of the town, apparently precipitated by an earlier incident – a fight between local youths in the town.
The violent attacks on at least two homes in the Grange Crescent scheme on Thursday evening last, 2 July, with a group of people, many of them appearing to be of younger teen years, and with some attackers carrying pickaxe handles and other weapons, and throwing stones through windows, saw considerable criminal damage caused to the houses under attack.
Making the incident much worse was the “relaying” to a worldwide audience via Facebook soon afterwards, and Topic received reports from other places, asking about what had happened and what it was about.
At 6pm on Thursday evening a gang of approximately a dozen people attacked two houses in Grange Crescent, Mullingar. The gang carrying weapons, threw rocks, stones and other items as they smashed the windows of the two houses they attacked.
Fortunately there was no one injured in this shocking incident which lasted at least six minutes. The gang arrived at the houses with one thing in mind – to cause destruction and to participate in mindless vandalism – and they didn’t care if people were injured or not in their barbaric attack, Topic learned.
Thousands of euro worth of damage was caused to the homes attacked.
Some of those involved appeared to be young teenagers but many of them carried poles, iron bars and golf clubs. They ran into the gardens of the houses and threw rocks, stones and other objects until they had most of the windows in both houses broken.
The window glass could be heard being smashed quite a distance away. Many people gathered in the area and watched on in disbelief and horror at what they were witnessing. There were loud screams and shouting and roaring by those involved as the windows broke, front doors were damaged and other items were then thrown into the houses through the broken windows and doors. It was a scene of mayhem.
MOBILE PHONES USED
These shocking scenes were recorded on mobile phones by many people who watched on in disbelief and while these videos have identified some of those involved in these acts of criminal damage unfortunately they have also gone viral on social media and have once again given the town of Mullingar a bad name for violence and public disorder.
While Topic does not like recording such unpleasant events, and for much of the year, does not do so, as those involved seem to want publicity for their mindless behaviour, the events of last Thursday evening could not be left in silence, with so much damage caused to Mullingar’s good name once again, by a certain element in tht town who do not respect the laws of the land or the authority of the Gardai. The way those involved behaved when Gardai were seeking to restore order and carrying out an arrest were a disgrace, and it is unfair to the community to have Gardai being called on to act as “guardians of the peace” in the face of such hostility.
GARDA ACTIVITY
A few minutes after the violence began on Thursday the Gardaí arrived on the scene and they decided to firstly stop the violence and then calm down tensions which were obviously running very high amongst all those concerned. The Gardaí dispersed those causing trouble and brought some calm to the situation.
After the first couple of Gardaí arrived on the scene, more Gardaí arrived and they numbered almost 20 in total.
Later in the week Gardaí confirmed that they are continuing to investigate the incident of violent disorder and criminal damage that occurred in Grange Crescent, Mullingar on Thursday evening, 2nd July 2020. They said that at 6pm on Thursday evening last they received a number of calls reporting that a large number of people had gathered in Grange Crescent area of Mullingar. Upon arrival at the scene Gardaí dispersed a large number of people in the area, some of whom were armed with pick axe handles. Gardaí observed that a number of houses in the area received significant damage and two men received non-life threatening injuries.
A man in his 30s was arrested at the scene and detained at Mullingar Garda Station.
During a follow up operation on Friday, 3rd July Gardaí arrested three men aged in their 30s and one man in his 20s in connection with the incidents. A man in his 30s was later released without charge pending a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions. The other three men have since been charged and appeared at a special sitting of Mullingar District Court on Saturday last, 4 July.
Gardaí confirmed that they seized a number of weapons after the incidents in Grange, including poles, sticks, iron bars etc.
Gardaí have stressed that their investigations are ongoing and that their Detective Unit are working on the case. They are hopeful of identifying the main culprits in the violence and that several other arrests are imminent in the coming weeks.
Gardaí say they are not aware of any specific incident that may have sparked the violence but they are investigating all possibilities.
Gardaí have also appealed to anyone with videos or photos of the violence in Grange to give them to the Gardaí and help them with their enquiries. They have also appealed to those with videos of the violence not to share them on social media platforms.
As regards those involved in the violence the Gardaí have appealed for those people to come forward and talk to the Gardaí about whatever issues they have rather than resorting to violence and criminal damage.
Following the incidents there was an increased Garda presence in the area to ensure there were no more attacks or violent incidents. Gardaí also stressed that all of these incidents impacted on their ability to carry out their regular Garda duties in other areas particularly at a time when they are trying to monitor people returning to the social scene in Mullingar, which is just reopening after lockdown.
COURT APPEARANCES
Three men appeared at a special court sitting on Saturday in Mullingar, in connection with the incident. There were charged with attacks on the two houses and violent disorder, and all all three were remanded on €200 bail to appear at Mullingar District Court on July 16. In the meantime, they are to reside at addresses outside the town of Mullingar. More arrests are expected.
