Charleston Road, Ranelagh : my sister nearly abducted

OMcGovern

Don't worry there's a happy ending to this, and a warning to other girls walking on their own.

Two of my sisters were drinking in "Rody Bolands" in Rathmines on Saturday.
One gets a taxi just outside the Swan Centre, while the other one just walks home down Charleston Road. ( the road in between Rathmines and Ranelagh )

She only has to walk 3/4 of the way down the road, not even to Ranelagh.

Anyways, some guy is walking behind her.
Then a car stops beside her, and the guy walking behind her tries bundling her into the car.

Before she knows what happens, an unmarked Garda car pulls up behind them, and saves the day. She was still ready to run until a uniformed Garda said it's okay. I don't care what you say about the Guards, this incident probably won't make on to the RTE news, but deserves some public recognition.

My sister was having trouble describing them to me.
Two guys, around 40+ years old, and definitely foreign.
She said "asian", but when pushed, I ruled out Chinese/Japanese/Indian.
Sounded like they were, in her words, "Muslims" but without the beards.
(I apologise for that slur on Muslims, it's the only way she could describe their vague origin geographically)

She only had to walk about 500 metres home, and this happened.
I hope this story serves it's purpose of making women a bit more alert after a night out drinking.

As I said, the Guards nabbed these guys but it's a wake up call.
I used to live on that road myself for 6 years, and thought it was safe as houses.

regards,
Owen

Kintarō Hattori

Wow I'm really surprised that happened there. I used to live in Rathmines for almost 3 years and thought it was a relatively safe place. I also used to walk the GF down that very road before we moved in together and it's pretty shocking to think that something like that could of happened to her.
I wonder how come an unmarked garda car was there. Were they tailing these guys, did they know it was a bad area or what? Still it's good to know your sister was lucky and any nastiness was avoided.

OMcGovern

I'm not sure if the guards were tailing them...
But possibly there were a few failed abductions recently and a vague description of the car.... who knows. I never noticed it, but my sis says there's always a uniformed guard around Charleston road, apparently some high ranking minister lives there. Maybe the guards were on the lookout for cars matching that description, on the prowl around the area, and someone radioed it in.

Alanthroneus

jesus... is she okay after it? i assume shes a bit shaken up? was it a case of the guards being there at the right time or they were tailing these chappies? thats fúcken disgraceful.... Fair play to the guards at least some of them do their job right

stagolee

OMcGovern wrote:

I'm not sure if the guards were tailing them...
But possibly there were a few failed abductions recently and a vague description of the car.... who knows. I never noticed it, but my sis says there's always a uniformed guard around Charleston road, apparently some high ranking minister lives there. Maybe the guards were on the lookout for cars matching that description, on the prowl around the area, and someone radioed it in.

Micheal McDowel(sp?) lives on that road, and I have heard stories of attempted attacks on young women in the area but it was a few months ago.

insafehands

I live just off Charleston Road. ****in hell dude, **** buzz alright.

Fair play to the Gardai though, and hope your sister is ok.

Alanthroneus

stagolee wrote:

Micheal McDowel(sp?) lives on that road, and I have heard stories of attempted attacks on young women in the area but it was a few months ago.

life after the p.d.'s eh?

lostexpectation

OMcGovern wrote:

Don't worry there's a happy ending to this, and a warning to other girls walking on their own.

Two of my sisters were drinking in "Rody Bolands" in Rathmines on Saturday.
One gets a taxi just outside the Swan Centre, while the other one just walks home down Charleston Road. ( the road in between Rathmines and Ranelagh )

She only has to walk 3/4 of the way down the road, not even to Ranelagh.

Anyways, some guy is walking behind her.
Then a car stops beside her, and the guy walking behind her tries bundling her into the car.

Before she knows what happens, an unmarked Garda car pulls up behind them, and saves the day. She was still ready to run until a uniformed Garda said it's okay. I don't care what you say about the Guards, this incident probably won't make on to the RTE news, but deserves some public recognition.

My sister was having trouble describing them to me.
Two guys, around 40+ years old, and definitely foreign.
She said "asian", but when pushed, I ruled out Chinese/Japanese/Indian.
Sounded like they were, in her words, "Muslims" but without the beards.
(I apologise for that slur on Muslims, it's the only way she could describe their vague origin geographically)

indonesian?
conincidence that the guard were there?

Jay D

God man that's horrible.

I love my sisters so much and would be kicking myself big time had them attemptees succeeded (and it was my sister of course). I really hope she's ok but I can't help but think what the outcome would have been like had the police not showed up. I can appreciate your point of say what you like about the Garda but I know anyone honestly could do nothing but praise them in this instance.

On the other point regarding it making the news, it really should. Maybe (and my honest opinion being) they don't want such a central area being tarnished and deter people from going there.

I know that road very well, often frequented as a guy I know has a barbers at the swan sc and a another lived on that square there between Rath and Ran. There's plenty of houses on either side though so I sincerely wish these blatant scumbags a severe sentence and for OUR own sake and security (as well as your sis's of course) they are promptly deported after being released.

el tel

I live nearby and can testify that there is a large Gardai presence in the area with cars constantly patrolling. I read somewhere recently that there have been quite a few rapes and other sexual assaults in the area over the last while which surprised me. But it is a huge relief that you sister managed to be rescued in the nick of time.

Danbo!

a friend of mine was robbed there recently and as he was chasing the scum down the road a car crossed his path. He began shouting at the driver are you blind etc.. etc.. in frustration with the fact they cut him off. Then the window rolled down and the passenger said "garda, get in now"... he hopped in and they chased the lads down the road but failed to catch them. there must be a constant patrol there

Hard Larry

Michael McDowell is abducting young girls?!

Glad there was a happy ending to that tale OP

Fair play to the Garda.

ozchick

What time did it happen (approx) like was it late evening, early hours of the morning?

Unfortunately proves girls can't walk anywhere on their own after a night out!

OMcGovern

ozchick wrote:

What time did it happen (approx) like was it late evening, early hours of the morning?

It happened at 2am.

My sis corrected me, there were actually 2 unmarked Garda/special branch cars, they manoevuered quickly to block the car in. My sis had lost a shoe and was still running away towards Ranelagh, not waiting to see what was happening.
Then a standard Garda car pulled in beside her to say it was okay.

Apparently the guards are charging them with other offences too.

If I hear about the court case/sentancing I'll update ye... no idea of timescales for that.

regards,
Owen

Piste

Jesus Christ, I sometimes walk on my own from Rathmines to Ranelagh when it's dark, and I always considered the other route (down by the church and Dunville Avenue) the dodgy route, that's frightening about Charleston road though. Ranelagh has become much dodgier lately, I too heard the rumours about the Ranelagh Rapist, afaik he was caught though, turned out to be some 6" Chinese bloke, can't be too many of them around so was easy to catch.

Pines

Piste wrote:

turned out to be some 6" Chinese bloke, can't be too many of them around so was easy to catch.

6 inches tall, or ::ahem:: a six-inch Chinese bloke? :rolleyes:

delta_bravo

This was in the herald today. Bit slow off the mark they were

aphex™

OMcGovern wrote:

I used to live on that road myself for 6 years, and thought it was safe as houses.

Actually, it's not that safe. There was a fella who lived there and picked up 2 girls from Rathfarnham and raped them all night about 6 years ago.

A friend was followed home in the daytime, too. She was talking to me on the bus and the guy followed her off the bus at the swan center. I stayed on the bus but didn't notice anything weird. In retrospect I did notice something a tad strange about him getting off the bus after her. She lost him in the end. Will be more vigilent in future, I tells ya.

delta_bravo

aphex&#8482 wrote:

Actually, it's not that safe. There was a fella who lived there and picked up 2 girls from Rathfarnham and raped them all night about 6 years ago.

I remember that case i think. If i recall the 2 women were sisters. Horiffic stuff

OMcGovern

delta_bravo wrote:

This was in the herald today. Bit slow off the mark they were

Yeah, that second rate hack of a journalist, contacted me by PM via boards here. But my sister didn't want to talk to him.

The story published in the Evening Herald had many errors, possibly the guards fed him misinformation for various reasons. It's funny when you know the truth and compare it to the newspaper version. Everything here is the gospel... ignore the "derivative" story in the herald.

OMcGovern

Quick update on those two "individuals" who tried abducting my sister.

One was an illegal immigrant, and regardless of the court outcome, will be fecked out of the country afterwards. He was the driver.

The other guy, who was walking behind my sis, and actually tried bundling her in the car is a different story.
I think he's a legal immigrant.
Gardai done a search of his house, and found ecstasy and date rape tablets :eek:
He also has two cars registered in his name, and the Guards were trying to track down those cars, for DNA evidence.... so this piece of filth has obviously done this sort of thing before.

They pleaded guilty, although I'm not sure which charges they pleaded guilty too.

Sentencing is tomorrow, Fri 31st Sept.
Lets all hope their lives are completely over/ruined from tomorrow onwards.
Even if the driver gets off, I hope he's heavily indebted to the wrong type of people, who smuggled him over here.

Will update, when I hear the court outcome.

regards,
Owen

OMcGovern

Final Update !

The sentancing has taken place.

1. The driver was an illegal immigrant and simply fecked out of the country.
The Guards are someone doubtful that his own country will pursue the
matter and press charges themselves against him.

2. The guy who tried bundling my sis into a car, had a stash of ecstasy and
date rape drugs in his flat.

He got 6 years for those offenses.
I think the max for 5 years for the drugs offenses, and the judge added
another year for the other stuff.

Hopefully, he'll get thrown out of the country after that.

regards,
Owen

nikolaitr

Thats good to hear, although I would question whether he will actually be thrown out after his term. Scum like that Irish or Foreign deserve the worst from the law.

I wish we would hear more stories like this, it might help us get some more respect for the Gardai.