A court has heard how a ten-year-old boy managed to save his sister from the clutches of an abductor in Cullohill, Co Laois in March.
The horrifying ordeal began when the girl, 11, and her twin younger brothers were playing in a rural area.
Explaining the events to Portlaoise Circuit Court, Garda Anne Marie Deegan said one of the boys noticed a vehicle had stopped nearby and that his sister had been “put into the SUV through the driver’s door across the passenger seat”.
The SUV was driven by Michael Martin (36), of Shandon Court, Yellow Road, Waterford city, who has 92 previous convictions, including false imprisonment, assault of a girl and threatening to kill a woman, as well as fraud and robbery.
Sensing the danger his sister was in, the boy “ran up, reached in and attempted to strike the driver in the vehicle”, hanging on to the door of the SUV as it moved. The distraction was enough for the boy’s sister to make her escape.
According to a report in the Irish Independent, the children managed to give a partial registration plate to Gardaí, leading to Martin’s arrest the following day. The three siblings were also able to identify him in an identity parade at Portlaoise Garda Station.
Prosecuting counsel Will Fennelly said the children “were obviously very courageous” and congratulated the “plucky” boy for his quick thinking and action.
Michael Martin has been remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced next Thursday.
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