Gardai in Athlone are advising business owners not to keep large amounts of cash on their premises, following the kidnap and assault of a Moate bookmaker and his family last weekend.
Bookmaker Paul Rooney and his family were subjected to a six-hour kidnap ordeal on Sunday evening, during which the family home was raided, his wife and teenage son were tied up, and Mr Rooney was forced to hand over €10,000 to the assailants.
The attack has caused a number of local business people to reflect on their security arrangements, and to this end a Crime Prevention Officer is being made available at Athlone Garda Station to those seeking advice.
“We have spoken to a lot of business people in the local area, and the Crime Prevention Officer is available to give advice,” according to Sgt John Lawless of Athlone Garda Station.
Gardai are hunting for a gang of at least four men in relation to the kidnap and robbery, and are appealing for anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity in Moate on Sunday to contact them. It is thought that the attackers made their escape in a dark coloured saloon car.
Gardai also believe the raiders may have been in Moate for a number of hours prior to the attack, and that someone may have witnessed a group of people acting suspiciously during Sunday afternoon or evening.
The terrifying ordeal began on Sunday evening at around 5pm when the gang of men broke into the Rooney household at Knockdomney on the outskirts of Moate, where they tied up Mr Rooney’s wife and son and held them captive for a number of hours.
On Mr Rooney’s return home, he was assaulted by the men and the house ransacked, before he was driven to Rooney’s Bookmakers in Moate, at around 11pm, and forced to hand over a sum of cash estimated at €10,000 from the safe on the premises.
Anyone who has any information which may assist the investigation is asked to contact Athlone Garda station at (090 ) 6492600.
