Man hits woman over head with crutch in carjacking before car is found in sea off Clare

The man is being questioned by officers after a woman was struck over the head with a crutch and her car stolen around 8am, yesterday morning.

The woman, aged in her mid 30s, was parking her car on Mulgrave Street before making her way to work in a nearby premises when the perpetrator struck.

After a man approached the victim, a struggle ensued and the man took the woman's car keys.

He fled in the victim's Nissan Qashqai, which was found around 8pm last night at the bottom of the sea, after it was driven off a pier at Seafield, Quilty, Co Clare.

Gardaí, acting on confidential intelligence, traced a suspect to a house in Garryowen in Limerick city, shortly before midday today.

A man in his late 30s was arrested at the house at 11.40am, and is currently detained at Henry Street Garda Station.

He is being questioned by gardaí under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act on suspicion of the unlawful taking of a motorised vehicle.

A garda spokesman said the crutch used in the attack on the woman was "not" in the car when it was discovered underwater.

The spokesman said the suspect is from county Limerick.

"The woman was approached by a man and a struggle ensued. She was struck with something and she received an injury," the garda said.

The woman's injuries are not serious, however gardaí said she is "fairly shaken" by the incident.

"The car which was found submerged in the water is still subject to a technical analysis," the garda spokesman said.

"It's at Ennis Garda Station," they added.