GARDAÍ HAVE APPEALED for witnesses to a unprovoked attack on a 15-year old boy in a park in Limerick City, which left him needing surgery to repair his broken jaw and teeth.

Speaking today, Sergeant Ber Leetch, crime prevention officer, Henry Street Garda Station, said the boy was attacked by an older male who was not known to him, at the People’s Park, on Thursday, 12 October.

The boy suffered a broken jaw and broken teeth and requires surgery to repair his smashed face.

Sergeant Leetch said the older male, aged around 17/18 years, approached the boy and “asked him or a fight” and the boy “refused” to do so.

“Suddenly, the male punched the young [boy] eight to nine times into his face and ran off. The young man suffered a broken right jaw and broken teeth, he requires surgery to have a metal plate fitted in order to repair his jaw,” said Sergeant Leetch.

Sergeant Leetch said the boy’s attacker wore “a grey Adidas tracksuit, and is Irish with a local accent”.

She urged witnesses to contact investigating gardai at Roxboro Road (061 214340) or the Garda Confidential Hotline (1800 666 111).

Speaking generally, Sergeant Leetch advised people that “if you are a victim of a crime or a witness to a crime, you must ring 999 – it is the fastest way of getting Garda attention”.

“If you are a witness it is important that you do not put yourself in any danger so ring 999 quickly but safely. Provide your name and phone number, as a witness may be vital to an investigation and gardai will be able to contact you at a later date.”

“A witness solved a burglary that happened in Limerick city centre at 5.40am last Thursday morning. When gardai arrived at the scene of the burglary – because of a [security] alarm – it was a witness who gave gardai the direction the [suspects] went in. A male and female were arrested and are subsequently before the courts,” she said.