Fatal carjacking gang may have struck before
A gang who brutally battered an Estonian man to death as they hijacked his car may have struck before, it was revealed today.
The 28-year-old was dragged out of his car at 1.15am in a lay-by near Dublin Airport by up to four men and beaten about the head as he sat there with a young woman.
They repeatedly kicked and punched him as he lay on the ground beside the car.
The woman, also from Estonia, managed to flee unharmed but was left severely traumatised by the attack.
Detectives suspect the gang, who are Irish, may have attempted other carjackings in the area over the last year but the victims did not report it.
Superintendent Gerard Phillips, who is heading the investigation, appealed for anyone who may have suffered a similar incident to come forward.
“A man was pulled out of his car by three to four males, badly assaulted, he was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he was later pronounced dead,” he said.
“We are now investigating that incident and are looking for any assistance we can get, especially in relation to, maybe, people who were involved in similar incidents in the same location over the recent past.
“We would ask them to make contact with us and we will investigate those incidents.”
The attack took place in a lay-by at Naul Road, Forrest Little, Swords, just north of the airport, an area popular with plane spotters.
Gardaí said the woman ran from the attackers towards two other cars parked a short distance away and gardaí were then alerted.
The attackers then took the car, a Volkswagen Golf, and sped off towards the Cloghran roundabout. It was found on fire in a disused halting site in St Dominic’s Park, Coolock.
Gardaí have spoken to the woman and the other people who were in the area at the time but appealed for anyone who may have passed the area around the time to contact them.
The man had been living in Ireland for several years and working as a fork-lift driver.
Gardaí said they were trying to make contact with his family in Estonia.
Fine Gael justice spokesman Jim O’Keeffe TD accused the outgoing Government of failing to deal with serious crime.
“This is a truly depraved and sickening incident in which a young man appears to have been killed simply for his car. These criminals clearly felt they could act with impunity without any fear of being caught, let alone prosecuted,” Mr O’Keeffe said.
“It’s time for a new approach to crime. Fine Gael in government is committed to tougher penalties to prevent criminals from entering a life of crime.”
Green Party leader and Dublin North TD Trevor Sargent condemned the attack.
“Unfortunately, this killing is not an isolated incident. It is the latest in a string of violent incidents, including shootings and a grenade attack, that the people of Swords have been subjected to in the past year,” Mr Sargent said.
With the general election only three-and-a-half weeks away, Mr Sargent insisted he was not attempting to score political points on the back of such a horrific attack.
Gardaí sealed off the Naul Road and spent the day examining the scene of the attack near the airport and also the halting site where the car was found burning.
