Former ‘Westies' gang member arrested after garda car is rammed by stolen van
The 50-year-old, from Blanchardstown, Dublin, is suspected of ramming a garda car and attempting to ram others during the chase, which started at around 4am yesterday and ended less than an hour later.
A criminal who was once a leading member of the Westies gang is in custody after leading gardaí on a high-speed chase.
The 50-year-old, from Blanchardstown, Dublin, is suspected of ramming a garda car and attempting to ram others during the chase, which started at around 4am yesterday and ended less than an hour later.
The red Ford Transit van the man was driving was reported stolen after an aggravated burglary in Maynooth, Co Kildare, at 4am on Wednesday, along with a car from the same property.
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In that incident, a woman whose two young children were asleep in the house at the time was confronted by three masked men, one of whom assaulted her, before they escaped with the two vehicles.
Nearly 48 hours later, uniformed gardaí who were on patrol in Blanchardstown noticed the van.
When they tried to stop it, the driver rammed their car, causing minor damage. No officers were injured.
The van was then driven off and sped along back roads in the Blanchardstown, Lucan and Dunboyne areas.
The arrested man is a suspect for a number of burglary, theft and similar dangerous driving incidents
At one stage, it was driven the wrong way on the N4 near Lucan before the chase ended in Blanchardstown, where the criminal was arrested.
'This was a great example of fine police work in which the gardaí put their lives on the line when one considers how dangerous the suspect was driving in that van,' a source said. 'Thankfully, no one was injured.'
The arrested man is a suspect for a number of burglary, theft and similar dangerous driving incidents in Dublin and other Leinster counties, including in Meath, in recent months.
The Westies were one of the biggest drug-dealing gangs in Ireland over 20 years ago
The arrested man has multiple previous convictions. He previously served a prison sentence for his role in a high-profile crime in a north Dublin pub in January, 2008, in which the victim received life-changing injuries.
He also received a suspended sentence for possession of stolen goods in Co Roscommon.
The Westies were one of the biggest drug-dealing gangs in Ireland over 20 years ago and were known for their violence.
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