Speeding thief crashes out

THERE was high-speed drama in Ennis on Wednesday evening when gardaí pursued a stolen jeep through the town.

Earlier, the man had commandeering the jeep at knifepoint from a Kilmihil family and was pursued by gardaí after he failed to stop on the outskirts of Ennis.
In the ensuing chase, gardaí succeeded in arresting the driver in the Lower Market Street area of Ennis after he collided with bollards in a closed-in area.
A senior garda told The Clare Champion that the individual in question made his way into a house in Kilmihil earlier in the day and “took possession of a knife when he was in the house”.
“He forced the occupants of the house to hand over the keys of the jeep. Gardaí saw the jeep coming in on the Kilrush Road and signalled for the jeep to stop. He refused to stop and was pursued into the market area of Ennis. He was forced into the bollards near Paddy Quinn’s and was hemmed in at O’Connell Street,” the garda stated.
The sole occupant of the vehicle, a man, was forcibly removed by gardaí, arrested and detained at Ennis Garda Station.
Commenting on the matter, Chief Superintendent John Kerin said this was “a very serious incident and people could have been killed. I can’t commend the gardaí who apprehended this individual enough.”
It is understood that the man will be formally charged before Shannon District Court this Thursday.