A VIDEO SHOWING the theft of a car, during which the thief appears to ram the vehicle’s owner, has been shared online with captions which claim it was filmed in Ireland.
However, the clip actually shows an incident in the English city of Doncaster.
Comments made about the footage are akin to other false claims spread by anti-immigrant groups, which misleadingly link violent crime to immigration.
In the video, the car’s owner can be seen being pinned against a garden wall as the car reverses away. A section of the wall is demolished, and the man is seen writhing in pain.
One post claiming the clip was filmed in Ireland was seen on Twitter, formerly X, where it has been viewed more than a million times.
“This is Ireland in 2023. Diversity has destroyed our Once Great Nation,” a verified user said next to the footage.
However, the footage was filmed in the UK, not Ireland.
The location can be confirmed based on features that are visible in both the video and Google Maps Street View of Doncaster, including the layout of the structures, road markings, as well as a hi-visibility wand on an unusual island of grass that impedes a bike lane.
Local media reported that the theft occurred on the morning of 6 December after the owner had left his keys in the ignition, while he was defrosting the car’s windows as it sat in his driveway.
South Yorkshire police told ITV News that the man who was rammed was the owner of the car and had “suffered some significant injuries”, however he was recovering after receiving hospital treatment.
The car has since been recovered, but police updates say that the suspect is still being sought at the time of publication.
Claims that Ireland is becoming more dangerous due to immigration are common in fringe communities which regularly falsely claim that crimes that had happened abroad were actually committed by immigrants in Ireland.
The Journal has previously videos of a public brawl and a violent theft that were blamed on immigrants in Ireland this year, despite both being filmed abroad.
Videos showing crimes in Ireland have also been used to blame immigration, despite having no known connection to foreign culprits, and The Journal has debunked numerous claims of crimes committed by immigrants that have spread despite having no basis.
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