Garda chopper and convoy of cars chase JCB thief
The man was held at Carlow Garda Station
A DRAMATIC garda pursuit of a stolen JCB through the rural roads of Co Carlow is now the subject of a GSOC investigation following the discharge of a “less-lethal” device.
A man was arrested following a lengthy pursuit of the vehicle yesterday morning, which involved a garda helicopter and multiple patrol cars through rural roads across Castledermot, Carlow, Tullow and Ballon.
Gardaí said that during the pursuit, a “less-lethal” device was discharged, striking a vehicle. The discharge has since been notified to the Garda Ombudsman.
Footage of the incident has been widely circulated online, showing the JCB driving through Co Carlow’s rural roads with large numbers of garda in pursuit. Many motorists were also stunned to witness the intense pursuit as they travelled to work or on their normal school runs.
The incident began with the theft of the vehicle in Tullow at approximately 7am on Wednesday morning and continued for over two hours until the vehicle was finally stopped at White Mills, Kilbride on the N80.
The man, who is understood to be from Co Carlow, was arrested at the scene and detained at Carlow Garda Station.
In a statement, Superintendent Anthony Farrell confirmed that gardaí responded to an incident of theft of a heavy plant machine in Tullow Co Carlow last Wednesday, 5 March.
“A managed pursuit was put in place to manage the safety of all involved, including the public and members of An Garda Síochána. The vehicle was subsequently stopped not far from White Mills on the Bunclody side of Ballon and a male has been arrested for alleged offences contrary to the ,” he said.
“The male is currently detained at Carlow Garda Station under Section 4 of the .”
Supt Farrell is appealing for information in relation to the incident.
“An Garda Síochána appeals to any person who may have any images or video footage of yesterday morning’s driving incident, which took place on rural roads in Co Carlow. Areas affected by this dangerous driving were: Castledermot, Carlow, Tullow and Ballon … maybe I could ask that you would copy that imagery and make it available to An Garda Síochána and contact us at Carlow Garda Station on 059 9136620,” he said.
