A man has been arrested and charged following a hijacking incident on Easter Sunday.
The victim of the hijacking managed to escape the vehicle when it entered a petrol station in Portlaoise – enabling him to to sound the alarm.
The ordeal began at around 5pm on Easter Sunday when a man was sitting in his car in the O’Malley Park area of Limerick and was asked for a lift by another man.
He agreed to this request but at some stage during the journey the passenger threatened the driver with what is believed to be a knife and demanded he drive him to Portlaoise.
When the pair got to Portlaoise, they entered a petrol station and it was here that the driver managed to escape.
He jumped from the car and received minor injuries but did not require medical treatment at the time.
The driver immediately reported the matter to Gardaí and following an investigation a man, aged in his late 20s, was arrested in Tallaght shortly after 9pm.
Gardai say: “He was brought to Roxboro Road Garda Station where he was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 and has since been charged.
“He is due to appear before Kilmallock District Court this evening at 5pm.”
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