Locals in the Ballybrack area are being warned about a rise in vicious gang attacks.
On the evening of Friday October 12th, two teenagers were allegedly set upon by a gang of teens armed with weapons in Cromlech Fields.
Distressed father Alan told 98FM Dublin Talks that his son Martin (13) and his friend were attacked on the way to the local chipper.
He said: “They left the house and about five minutes later the door flew open and it was his friend screaming for help.
Alan said he went to the door and there were gangs of young lads with their hoods up with weapons, poles and shovels.
Alan screamed at them to get away saying there were young kids in the house. He closed the door and the gang hit the door and windows with the weapons.
“I opened the door again, and they ran off and smashed the back window in the car.”
Alan went onto the road in search of his son Martin.
“Luckily enough he was in the neighbour’s house. [The gang] had [my son] penned in the garden and the husband of the woman came out and ran the lads away.”
Martin suffered serious damage to his eye.
“God knows what would have happened if that chap didn’t come out to help him. We could’ve been going to a funeral this week in reality. One of these days something like this will happen,” said Alan.
Local councillor Cormac Devlin (FF) told Dublin Gazette he is “exceptionally worried” about reports he has been getting of anti-social behaviour and public order issues right across constituency.
“Unfortunately, it’s not an isolated incident. There was another recent incident on Glenageary Road upper where an individual was set upon after he confronted a group of youths, and he was older.”
Cllr Devlin advised locals to report every incident to Gardai.
“The Gardai have a public order unit that they are trying to police certain black spots. Preferably Gardai would be called before any damage or assault is carried out, so people need to be vigilant and ring their local garda station. If the incident is serious they need to ring 999 or 112.”
Local councillor Hugh Lewis has also condemned the attack and is calling for investment in young people in the area.
“This this needs to be addressed at the grassroots level with the appropriate level of intervention and investment aimed specifically at our young people to steer them away from the lure of gangs.”
There will be a public information meeting with the Joint Policing Committee on Tuesday November 20th from 6.45pm to 7.30pm in the Talbot hotel in Stillorgan, where locals can meet with Gardai and voice their concerns.
