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The Irish Sun
41 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Two Irish teens, 18, arrested over ‘unprovoked' street attack on grandfather, 71, & grandson in popular tourist hotspot
The pair have since paid €2,000 bail and have been freed BRUTAL ASSAULT Two Irish teens, 18, arrested over 'unprovoked' street attack on grandfather, 71, & grandson in popular tourist hotspot TWO teenagers have been arrested over a brutal street attack on an Irish grandfather and his grandson in a popular Majorcan holiday resort. The 18-year-olds, who are also from Ireland, were held after witnesses told police they had seen them kicking and punching their compatriots following an earlier row in a tattoo parlour. Advertisement The violent incident occurred in Santa Ponsa near Magaluf. The 71-year-old victim and his 20-year-old grandson were taken to hospital, with the elder of the two men needing an emergency operation after suffering several facial fractures. The two tourists held were remanded to a local jail after appearing before a judge in court, although they have since paid €2,000 bail and have been freed while a judicial investigation continues. The Civil Guard has yet to make any official comment about the incident. Advertisement READ MORE IRISH NEWS DO NOT EAT Full list of every herb sold in Dunnes, Lidl, Aldi & Tesco after listeria recall Local paper Diario de Mallorca described the early-hours attack at the end of last month as 'unprovoked'. It said it occurred after the Irish teenagers were kicked out of a tattoo parlour in the resort's Ramon de Montcada Street after starting to insult and threaten staff and customers. They are said to have told the men they allegedly went on to physically attack: 'What are you looking at? Do you want a fight?' They reportedly waited outside with six other friends for 40 minutes and ambushed their alleged victims as they walked back to their hotel. Advertisement It has been reported that the the teenagers continued to kick and punch them after knocking them to the ground. The assault is said to have occurred outside an unnamed fast food restaurant where witnesses afterwards gave police a description of what had happened. The teenagers, who are still being investigated although they are thought to have been given permission to return to Ireland, spent only a few hours behind bars before managing to stump up their bail bond. SANTA PONSA FATAL CRASH Separately, at the weekend it emerged an Irish tourist had been involved in a fatal crash in Santa Ponsa. Advertisement The 38-year-old was at the wheel of a rental car which collided head-on with a 51-year-old German cyclist in the town on July 31. Police spent nearly half an hour trying to save the man knocked off his bike. Paramedics arrived a short time later and confirmed he was deceased. No arrests are believed to have been made although a local judge has opened an investigation into the accident. Advertisement It happened just before 5pm on July 31 at the intersection of Ramon de Moncada Street and Bartomeu Rossello Planas Street.


Extra.ie
2 hours ago
- Extra.ie
Irish family shocked by message from assisted dying clinic
An Irish family has been left reeling after allegedly receiving a text message from a suicide clinic in Switzerland informing them that their mother was dead, and her ashes would be arriving in the post. 58-year-old Maureen Slough, based in Co Cavan, travelled to the Pegasos clinic on July 8, telling her family she was going to Lithuania with a friend, according to the Irish Independent. However, the woman's daughter, Megan, says she was shocked when she received a WhatsApp message saying her mother had died listening to gospel music sung by Elvis Presley, while her family believed she was holidaying in Lithuania. Maureen Slough, a 58-year-old mother from Cavan who reportedly took her own life at the Pegasos clinic, and her daughter Megan Royal. Pic: Facebook Now her family is demanding answers to find out why their mother, who they say attempted suicide a year earlier following the deaths of her two sisters, was able to seek assisted dying without the family being informed. Her daughter Megan told the Irish Independent that she had to track her mother's ashes through the postal system. It's reported that after the shock of finding out Ms Slough had travelled alone to Switzerland and paid a reported £13,000 to the Pegasos Swiss Association to facilitate her death two days later, the family began investigating how this could have happened They were shocked to find that Pegasos accepted their mother's application, considering her long history of mental illness, and claimed the clinic did not inform the family of her plan. Ms Slough allegedly travelled alone to Switzerland and paid £13,000 to the Pegasos Swiss Association to facilitate her death two days later. Pic: Facebook But the Pegasos group has allegedly said that it received a letter from Ms Slough's daughter, Megan, saying she was aware of her mother's desire to die and that she had accepted her decision, something Megan has denied. The clinic also claimed it verified the authenticity of the letter through an email response to Ms Royal, using an email address supplied by her mother, but Megan insists she never wrote such a letter or verified any contact from the clinic, and the family claim their mother may have forged the letter and then verified it using an email address she created herself. This is not the first time the non-profit assisted dying clinic Pegasos has attracted controversy. Alistair Hamilton with his mother Judith. Pic: ITV In 2023, Alistair Hamilton, a 47-year-old teacher from the UK, with no diagnosed illness, took his own life at the Swiss clinic, without the knowledge of his family, and after that case, Pegasos reportedly promised it would always contact a person's relatives before carrying out assisted death. His mother, Judith, later visited the clinic where her son had died to look for answers. Since 1942, under Swiss Law, people have been allowed to help others to die, as long as their motives are not for personal gain, such as an inheritance or other form of monetary gain. The law states that the person wishing to die must be of sound mind, but they do not need to be terminally ill or have any medical conditions. The country's assisted suicide clinics are non-profit organisations. Earlier this year, British MPs voted to change the suicide law in the UK and allow terminally ill people in England and Wales the choice to end their lives.


The Irish Sun
3 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Accident waiting to happen', people fume over ‘scandalous' snap of 2 kids & 2 adults riding one e-scooter in Dublin
'Scandalous to put their kids and other road users in danger like this' SCOOTER SHOCK 'Accident waiting to happen', people fume over 'scandalous' snap of 2 kids & 2 adults riding one e-scooter in Dublin PEOPLE have been left fuming over a picture of FOUR people -including two children - travelling on an electric scooter in Dublin. The shock snap captured a woman and a small girl holding onto the handlebars of the e-scooter whilst it travels on a busy road in the capital. Advertisement 1 The shock snap captured two adults and two children travelling on the e-scooter Credit: Social Media A man has his arms wrapped around the woman's chest in order to stay balanced behind her on the board whilst a young boy perches on his shoulders and grips onto the man's face. An e-scooter is designed to be used by one person only and cannot legally be used on Irish roads by a person aged under 16-years-old. The snap, which is going viral on social media, has caused outrage among some who were quick to point out how dangerous the balancing act could be - especially on a busy road full of cars. One person wrote: "Accident waiting to happen." Advertisement Another declared: "Vehicle overcrowded and should have helmets on." A third said: "Scandalous to put their kids and other road users in danger like this." A fourth cried: "Where are the guards?" Another said: "I know people will say, hard to get around for people in this cost of living crisis but jesus your kids safety is priority one." Advertisement Others made jokes about the shocking snap, with one saying: "They forgot the dog!" Moment 'rich kid' driver knocks over scooter rider & then reverses into him Another added: "Does anyone know who makes that scooter? It must be a great little yoke." E-scooters can be legally used on Irish roads since 20 May 2024, when the Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 created a new vehicle class called powered personal transporters. You do not need a licence to ride one and your e-scooter does not need to be registered, taxed or insured. Advertisement However, a person must be 16 or over to use an e-scooter and the device must have a CE mark alongside a declaration of conformity from the retailer. E-scooters can be used on local, regional, and national roads but they cannot be used on motorways. FINES FOR RULE-BREAKERS E-scooter users will face a €50 fine for: Driving an electric scooter exceeding the speed limit of 20km per hour Driving an electric scooter in a public place without reasonable consideration for other people using the place Failure to stop electric scooter for a school warden sign Failure to stop an electric scooter when so required by a member of Garda Síochána Using an electric scooter to carry goods Using an electric scooter to carry passengers Using an electric scooter equipped with a seat Modifying an electric scooter in a manner that is prohibited in that regulation Towing another vehicle, any equipment, implement or any other item Using an electric scooter that is not roadworthy Exceeding the maximum design speed Exceeding the maximum continuous rated power of the electric motor, or combination of electric motors Exceeding the dimensions provided for in that regulation Failure to fit a braking device in accordance with that regulation Failure to fit lighting and reflectors in accordance with that regulation Failure to fit an audible warning device, bell or horn in accordance with that regulation Failure to fit wheels and tyres in accordance with that regulation Driving an electric scooter along or across a footway, other than for access or egress Failure by driver of an electric scooter to obey traffic lights Failure by driver of an electric scooter to obey traffic lights/signs at a railway level crossing Driving an electric scooter into a pedestrianised street or area other than on a cycle track Failure by driver of an electric scooter to obey cycle traffic lights Holding a mobile phone while driving an electric scooter. You can use cycle and bus lanes but those using an e-scooter cannot use the transporter on footpaths or in pedestrianised areas. Gardai can confiscate or issue fines if e-scooters are ridden by people under 16. Advertisement And the rules state: "E-scooters are not designed for carrying goods or passengers." Along with banning under 16s from using e-scooters, people could also be fined for breaking rules including exceeding the speed limit, carrying goods or passengers and using an e-scooter that is not roadworthy. 'LITTLE ROOM FOR ERROR' According to the RSA, nearly one in four regular e-scooter users have been involved in a collision, while one in three have experienced a near miss. Dr John Cronin, Emergency Medicine Consultant at St Vincent's Hospital and RSA board member, said: "E-scooters have quickly become a popular mode of transport, particularly in our cities — but with that popularity comes vulnerability. Advertisement "As an emergency medicine consultant, I've seen just how frequent and serious the injuries can be when things go wrong - from broken bones to serious head trauma. "E-scooter users have very little protection and very little room for error, especially when mixing with larger, faster vehicles. "Everyone on the road — whether walking, cycling, driving, or using an e-scooter — has a role to play in keeping each other safe." Dr Cronin added: "By staying alert and respectful, we can prevent lives from being tragically lost or forever altered by serious injury."