Thieves keep volunteer away from search

Thieves who attempted to steal three vehicles from one house in McDermott Villas in Navan have kept one volunteer away from an ongoing search operation for a missing man.
Michael Boland, a member of Meath River Rescue, has spent the past few days sorting out new locks for his house and cars following a break-in in the early hours of Saturday morning, while his family were asleep.
The traumatic incident left the family without the use of their cars for several days, with Michael unable to join his colleagues in the search and his son, James, had to borrow a neighbour’s car to get to a new job in Dublin.
The family’s ordeal began in the early hours of Saturday morning. Michael explained that his wife heard a noise at around 5am.
“She looked out the window but saw nothing. She then went to the bathroom and saw the front door was open,” he said.
The thieves had taken the keys to his wife’s car, his son’s car and Michael’s own van, as well as his son’s laptop.
Quick-thinking Michael removed the batteries from the three vehicles to prevent the thieves coming back to steal them. However, this left the family without access to any vehicles, while they tried to change locks in their home.
Michael’s son, James, was starting a new job in Dublin on Monday and only for the kindness of a neighbour who loaned him her car, he wouldn’t have been able to get to it.
Michael had beeen unable to joing the current Meath River Rescue search of the Boyne in Trim.
“It was very traumatic. My wife and daughter still cannot sleep at night,” he said.
Cllr Wayne Forde said he met with the family who are still in a state of shock. He praised the gardai in Navan but said they were under extreme pressure.
Navan Gardai are investigating a spate of burglaries in the town over the last few days, including four on Friday night.
Two houses in kennedy Crescent were broken into between 7pm and 7,30pm on Friday. In both cases, locks were popped on rear patio doors and the houses searched but nothing was taken.
There was also a break-in at a house in The Grove, Athlumney, between 6pm on Friday evening and 3am on Saturday. Again, a patio lock was popped, the house was searched but nothing was taken.
A second house in Athlumney was also broken into on Friday night/Saturday morning and a quantity of jewellery was taken. The gardai are also investigating a break-in at Tailteann Estate in Navan at 3.30am on Monday morning. A woman heard a noise downstairs, went down to discover the front door was open and her handbag had been taken.