tormented | 

Wicklow cancer patient (90) ‘terrorised’ by teens who kick in front door for second time

The tormented Arklow woman has mental health issues and wishes to remain anonymous for fear of repercussion

Today at 14:00

Wicklow Gardaí responded to a call on Saturday night from the distressed relatives of a 90-year-old cancer patient who had her front door kicked in for the second time in six months.

The tormented Arklow woman, who lives on John Paul Avenue with her son – who has mental health issues – and wishes to remain anonymous for fear of repercussion, was jolted to attention with a bang when the gang of youths kicked in her door and broke its glass panelling with rocks.

Not satisfied with their wanton act of destruction and showing utter disregard the pensioner and her son the youths stood in her garden and watched as she attempted to disperse them.

Outlining the details of the vandalism, a seething relative said that the vandalism was just the latest in a long series of targeted attacks that have seen her windows broken, eggs thrown at the house and now, the replacement of yet another front door.

“A group of young lads have targeted her house multiple times over the last number of months by egging it, and, about six months ago, they broke the door down,” a family member alleged.

“We – myself and her granddaughter – got a new door put in after that happened, and then on Saturday night, they kicked it in again and smashed the glass by throwing rocks at the glass insert. We’re talking about a woman who is a 90-year-old cancer sufferer who lives with a son who has mental health issues.

“It wasn’t a case of just doing it and running away either. They stood there and admired their handiwork while she stood in the doorway trying to shoo them away. They’re clearly not afraid of the repercussions.

“I went over as soon as I heard that it happened,” he continued. “She called us first, and then we tried for a while to get through to the Gardaí, but she couldn’t, and neither could my wife.

“They eventually called over and said we could consider putting up CCTV, which I doubt would do much. They said they would get a message out to the rest of units to be on the lookout.”

Asked if there would be any reason why the property or its occupants would be specifically targeted, the relative replied: “What I do know is that their house is a soft target and that this woman is terrorized in her own home by these young lads.

“It’s also apparent that something meaningful needs to be done to deter these lads because they clearly have no regard for their community or the people that live in it – their behaviour demonstrated that in spades.”

Reacting to a post about the incident on social media, one Arklow resident wrote: “Probably the same crowd that was up there about two weeks ago. About seven of them, at 1.30 a.m. in the morning – hoods up. Where are their parents?”, while another added: “There was a gang at in Woodlands last night as well. Going around banging doors. Some parents don’t even know where or what their ‘little angels’ are.”

A spokesperson for the Garda Press Office said there was “no information on their system at this time” that matched the query.