Man arrested after ramming car through Trinity College front gates
An elderly man was arrested by gardaí in Dublin this morning after a rampage which caused damage to numerous cars, as well as to the historic front gates of the city's Trinity College.
The incident occurred at around 6.30am after the 68-year-old man drove through the college gates - which were open to vehicular traffic at the time - and onto the campus, where a number of cars were damaged.
"On exiting the college grounds the closed college gates were damaged," gardaí said.
The car proceeded through the gates and drove up Dawson St. where a number of other cars were damaged before it was stopped by gardaí.
The man was arrested and brought to Store St Garda Station.
68 yo man arrested after driving thru TCD. MT Pic by @brianjsmyth pic.twitter.com/CwyhkQdol7
— Bryan O'Brien (@BryanJOBrien) April 2, 2014
Witnesses who came upon the scene said the man "went on some sort of rampage around the grounds of the college, crashing into cars and so on, then when he drove back to front gate, he found it closed, screamed at security to let him get out, then rammed the gates from the inside to get out."
"He was screaming and roaring at staff to let them out and then rammed the gate three or four times before he made it," a witness said.
In a statement, Trinity College said the car had driven through the front gate following a contracted cleaning van that was entering the college.
"Despite college security’s efforts to stop the car, it drove onto campus," the statement said.
"Pursued by college security, it drove through the front section of the college and then drove back towards the front gate which had been closed by college security.
"However, the driver proceed to ram into the historic entrance a number of times, succeeding eventually to break through it and causing damage."
The college said that the front gate would remain closed for repairs today but is expected to reopen tomorrow.
