Tourist makes appeal after Limerick city mugging left her hospitalised
Christine Davey from England was visiting Limerick with her niece
A BRITISH tourist in her late 70s is appealing to people to remain vigilant in the city centre after she fell victim to a mugging during her one-day trip to Limerick, which left her hospitalised.
Christine Davey, from Lincolnshire on England’s east coast was visiting Limerick with her niece Bernadette Barber when she was set upon by a man in broad daylight in the city centre.
However, despite the ordeal which left her very shaken and needing treatment for a broken wrist, Christine, and her niece Bernadette, had one good experience to report - the support of the Limerick gardai who they say went “above and beyond” to ensure Christine was looked after.
Bernadette and Christine decided to visit Ireland for a bit of headspace, with a number of personal issues impacting them back home in Britain.
They arrived in Limerick last week for a day-trip after visiting Bunratty Castle.
But the trip was ruined after Christine's handbag, which contained spending money was snatched off her and she was left in St John’s Hospital with a broken wrist.
“I was completely shaken up,” Christine told the Limerick Leader.
While the assailant was making a getaway with the handbag, Bernadette screamed out for people to help them.
A number of passers by gave chase to the man, who dropped the handbag - but made off with a purse inside it which contained the money.
Bernadette was able to flag down two gardai who were passing in a squad car, and she praised them for going “above and beyond” to help her and her auntie Christine.
“Through everything that was going on, they supported us. They stayed with us while the paramedic was checking her out.
They drove us to the hospital, and stayed with us throughout. They took statements from us in the hospital,” Bernadette explained.
On top of this, she also revealed officers gave the pair a lift back to Killaloe where they were staying during their visit to the Mid-West.
“I did expect them to say ‘no, get a taxi’. But the officer turned around and said, ‘If I didn't do this, I’d feel very guilty!’”
Christine admits she is unlikely to return to Limerick given what has happened.
But her niece is already planning another visit to Ireland. And she has said she will return to Limerick in future.
“What happened was bad. But the support and help we’ve had since then has been absolutely brilliant, and we can’t fault them for what they’ve done,” she added.
Bernadette and Christine - who were on a coach trip to Ireland - decided to go public to warn other people to remain vigilant.
“The people who do this are not looking and considering people’s ages in any way. They just see an opportunity to take something which is not theirs. The fact they could knock her to the ground and leave her lying there, I just find horrendous,” said Bernadette.
Based in the town of Sleaford in Lincolnshire, she works as a psychiatric nurse. Her husband is actually a police officer in Britain.
“Police often do get a bad name, but they need to be praised for what they’ve done when they do a good job,” she added.
A garda spokesperson confirmed a male in his 30s has been arrested and charged in relation to this incident.
“A purse including a sum of cash was reported as stolen. A female in her 70s was conveyed to St John’s Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries,” they added.