Ram raid suspect escapes Garda custody

Security is “being reviewed” at an Inishowen Garda station after a suspect being held in connection with attempted robberies at two filling stations in the peninsula escaped from custody, the “Inish Times” can exclusively reveal. The suspect absconded on Thursday night last from Burnfoot Garda Station where he was being detained for questioning about attempted “ram raid” robberies at Texaco, Bridgend and Topaz, Muff, in the early hours of that day. He had been brought to the border station after being arrested in Carndonagh on Thursday afternoon. Speaking to the “Inish Times,” Buncrana Superintendent William Johnston confirmed the suspect was arrested in Derry late on Friday by the PSNI and taken into custody to serve a three month sentence imposed at a earlier court hearing in the North. He said: “There were two persons arrested by the PSNI in the North around 1.00pm on Thursday and there was one arrest made by the Gardai in Carndonagh around 3.00pm on the same day. “Of the two arrests in Derry, one was charged in relation to other offences and the other one may have been released. The investigation was centring around forensic evidence to link the three suspects with the crime. CCTV had been gathered by the Gardai but the forensic link was needed to further investigate. “It is true that on the same night [Thursday] a suspect escaped from Burnfoot Garda Station and security procedures at the station are being reviewed because of this. “The suspect was rearrested late on Friday by the PSNI in connection with serving of the rest of a sentence there. I believe he will be serving that sentence in Northern Ireland for the next three months.” Superintendent Johnston appealed to members of the public who may have further information on the incidents to come forward. He said: “We got a lot of support in the community in relation to the investigation, there were a number of sightings and these were reported and were important in tracking the vehicle and gathering evidence. If anyone hasn’t contacted the Gardai and feel they have something that would assist us, we would ask them to contact us in Buncrana. “An investigation file is being put together here and will be submitted to the DPP [Department of Public Prosecutions]. We are currently awaiting the forensic evidence to be gathered in the North and South and the analysis will be submitted to the DPP.”