Re: Re: reorganisation and destruction of irish catholic churches
Heavens above… Cathedral roofers stop mugger
Four men working on the roof of St Mel’s Cathedral
apprehended a mugger last week.
“I wasn’t worried – when I saw the poor old lady on the footpath I had to try and stop him”
Niall Headen
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Published Date:
30 July 2010
By Ailbhe Gillespie
It may have been the hand of God, or it might have been just good luck, either way, the heavenly view afforded to workers on the roof of St Mel’s Cathedral led to the arrest of a mugger this week.
Four men working on the roof of the Cathedral became have-a-go heroes when they apprehended a mugger and kept him secure until the Gardai arrived on the scene last week.
The drama began with an elderly local woman walking along St Mel’s Road when a man came from behind her and pushed her to the ground.
He then snatched her handbag and attempted to make his escape. However Niall Headen from Abbeyleix, who was working on the temporary roof of St Mel’s Cathedral had a bird’s eye view of what was happening, and was determined not to let the man get away.
“I was working on the gable end of the roof away from the bell tower when I saw a man running up the footpath and knock the woman to the ground. I saw him snatch her handbag – I was on the ridge of the roof and could see where he was going. I shouted to a man on the street to stop him but he didn’t so I lowered myself down to the ground and ran after him. I caught him just outside of the priest’s house.”
At this stage three other men working on the site, including two local men, who wish to remain anonymous, tied up the mugger with a rope and immediately called the Gardai.
They held him down and then waited for members of the Longford Gardai to arrive before handing them back the lady’s handbag and its contents.
When asked if he was nervous attempting to apprehend the mugger Niall said he didn’t give a second thought to his own safety: “I wasn’t worried – when I saw the poor old lady on the footpath I had to try and stop him. We were all delighted she got her handbag back – it was our good deed for the week.”
A spokesperson from the Longford Gardai said that the workers’ actions were very helpful to the Gardai investigating the matter.
The woman who was attacked, was said to be very shocked by the incident, and received medical treatment for minor injuries afterwards.
The perpetrator was arrested and appeared at Longford District Court where he was charged with robbery and remanded in custody for one week. He is due to appear in court again this week.
