Gardai hunt sex fiend after park attacks

FEMALE walkers and joggers in the city have been put on alert after a runner was savagely attacked in a South Dublin park.

The woman – who is only recently married – was jogging when a man dragged her to the ground and put a flex around her and tried to drag her into bushes.

BUGGIES

Another two women, who both were out walking with their babies in buggies, have also revealed that they too were set upon.

Gardai are now desperately trying to track down the man.

Women have been warned not to walk or jog alone following reports that a man is randomly attacking females in broad daylight around Southside public parks and cemeteries.

The attacks have caused panic and fear among women in the Tallaght and Clondalkin areas of the capital. Gardai issued the warning following confirmation that they are investigating an assault in the Kingswood area around 11.30am on Monday.

Locals say the woman, in her mid 20s, was jogging in a park known locally as Kingswood Castle when the man grabbed her and wrapped the cord around her neck.

He then dragged her towards bushes before the woman put up an extraordinary fight.

The frightened woman managed to fend off her attacker, but suffered facial injuries and is severely shaken following her ordeal. The victim's sister spoke about her terrifying ordeal last night.

A similar incident was reported to have occurred near Bohernabreena cemetery on the same day. The woman escaped without harm after she was attacked by a man also using a cable or rope.

There has also been reports of a third attack in Watergate Park, Tallaght, on Wednesday in which a woman was dragged into the bushes and brutally assaulted as her baby lay screaming in its buggy. In two of the three alleged incidents, the young women who were attacked were pushing buggies.

A garda patrol car was spotted in Bohernabreena yesterday, and it also did a circuit of the cemetery as investigations into the attack continue.

VIGILANT

In a statement Dublin South West Sinn Fein TD Sean Crowe urged people to be vigilant.

Deputy Crowe said “A number of women have been attacked in the Tallaght area and in the latest quite horrendous incident, which occurred on Monday near Newland's Cross Cemetery, a woman was targeted in what many local people believe was a sexuallymotivated assault.

“The assailant attempted to subdue his victim by tying their hands with rope, and when they resisted one of the women was punched repeatedly on the head and had to have emergency surgery carried out on her skull.

“She could have died in the incident and her attacker only fled the scene when the screams of his victim alerted passersby.”

A garda spokesman told the Herald: “We always urge women to take a common sense approach to their safety.

“If going for a walk, try to go with another person, let someone else know where you plan to walk, and carry a phone if possible,” he said.

The garda spokesman added that concerned members of the public can consult the Garda website for further personal safety information.

He said the public may also consult with their local Gardai who would be happy to issue advice through the local Community Policing Officer.

Gardai have confirmed that they are conducting a thorough investigation into the Kingswood incident which is being probed by officers from Clondalkin Garda Station.

 

Have you caught the ghost train at Connolly Station?

COMMUTERS are being asked to be on the look out for ghosts at Connolly Station.

Irish Ghost Hunters said that they have received reports of strange happenings at the busy train station.

Leading paranormalist Tim Kelly says that they want to hear reports from any commuters who have noticed anything strange in the city centre location.

"We've heard that there is poltergeist activity in Connolly Station," Tim said. "We want to find out what this is all about because it could be huge."

Ireland's own 'Ghostbusters' team are hoping to carry out a full investigation -- once they approach CIE and the operators of the station in order to obtain permission.

But they hope that commuters will come forward with their own experiences at the station so that they can build up a better picture ahead of any examination.

"It would take an hour and a half to set up. We have thermal imaging cameras, cutting-edge stuff," Tim explained.

The paranormal investigators team also includes Maedhbh Larkin, Thomas Borza, Tanya Brady and psychics Keith and Angie Freeland.

The ghost hunter, who is also a radio presenter with Today FM, said that they were keeping tabs on all reported paranormal activity on a scientific basis.

"We go in like the American teams -- it's a very technical approach. We'll have four or five cameras on the night," Tim said.

They recently visited the Hell Fire Club in Rathfarnham, and have regular stints in Wicklow Gaol and houses with reported ghostly activity across the country.

But this investigation in Connolly Station would be the first of its kind in such a public building.

"Sometimes the human ear can't pick up the voices and they are only audible once recorded on the audio recorders and reviewed," Tim explained.

Seven quizzed in gun murder probe

Seven people are being questioned by detectives over the gangland-style killing of a man almost a year ago.

Stephen Byrne was shot in the head and chest in Sheriff Street in Dublin's north inner city last July.

The seven - five men and two women - were arrested in the north inner city area this morning and are being held at a number of garda stations around the capital.

Four men - two in their 20s, one in his 30s and one in his 50s - and two women in their late 20s and early 30s are being detained under Section 30 of the Offences against the State Act.

They can be questioned for up to three days.

Another man, in his late teens, is being held under Section 50 of the Criminal Justice Act and can be quizzed by detectives for seven days.

The arrests bring to 13 the number of people questioned over the murder although nobody has yet been charged.

Gardai said the gangland-style gun attack happened at about 4.45pm on July 13 on the corner of Lower Sheriff Street and St Laurence O'Toole's Place - yards from a women's centre and church and a stone's throw from the city's financial district.

The gunman, dressed in black, and wearing gloves, shot the 32-year-old in the head and chest before riding off on a bike. 

Shop rents fall by 50pc

DUBLIN'S busiest shopping areas have recorded a 50pc plummet in retail rents from peak levels, new figures have revealed.

Property consultant CB Richard Ellis said that retail rents in the Irish market would remain under pressure for some time.

Overall retail sales for the year to April fell by close to 4pc.

And footfall continues to drop in prime shopping areas with around 11,600 shoppers per hour recorded on Grafton Street on Saturdays in the second quarter -- a drop of 4pc on the same period last year.

But businesses are beginning to return to the iconic street with vacancy rates at 1.1pc, compared to 3.2pc at the same stage last year. The vacancy rate on Henry and Mary Street is 0.3pc compared to 5.8pc in 2010.