Knife raids may be linked: Gardai

Gardai are investigating a possible link between four raids on local shops in the past two weeks where shop assistants were threatened at knifepoint. The surge in knife crime has seen four shops in the county targeted over a 12-day period by a lone male brandishing a knife who demanded that the contents of the tills be handed over. The latest incident occurred at Centra in Kilmessan on Sunday, while other raids occurred at Londis in Kentstown last Wednesday, Daybreak in Robinstown on Monday of last week and Gala in Athboy on Tuesday 15th March. In all four cases, a single raider entered the premises, brandishing a knife, and demanded the contents of the till. Gardai are investigating the possibility that all four robberies could be linked. Kilmessan Gardai are investigating the robbery at Centra in the village on Sunday evening at 9.55pm. A male entered the shop brandishing a knife, threatened the assistant and demanded money. The man spoke with a Dublin accent and was wearing a dark hoodie and tracksuit bottoms, trainers and gloves. His face was covered and he was wearing a blue Puma rucksack on his back. He was approximately 5' 9" in height. The raider made off with a small amount of cash from the till. He left on foot and went towards Bective Lodge estate. It is not known if he made his getaway from there in a vehicle. There were no customers in the shop at the time and there were two male staff on duty. Both were shaken by the ordeal but otherwise uninjured. Navan Gardai are investigating a similar knife raid on a shop in Kentstown on Wednesday evening of last week. At around 6.30pm, a male entered the Londis store in the village and produced a knife, threatening the shop assistant. The man was dressed in black clothing and had a scarf covering his face. He threatened the shop assistant and made off with the contents of two tills, again leaving the scene on foot. There were no customers in the shop at the time, but it had been busy up to the incident, indicating that the raider was watching the shop and chose his moment to enter. Trim Gardai are investigating the raid on Fitzgerald's Daybreak store in Robinstown on Monday 21st March where, again, the shop assitant was threatened by a man carrying a knife. At around 8.30pm, the raider entered the shop and produced a knife. He threatened the assistant and made off with a quantity of cash from the till. The man was dressed in black, wearing gloves and had a scarf covering his face. Gardai do not know if he made his getaway on foot or in a vehicle on this occasion either. On Tuesday evening, 15th March, Bird's Gala store in Athboy was targeted. A lone male entered the shop, again brandishing a knife, and threatened the female shop assistant, before making off with a sum of cash. Anyone with information on any of the incidents or who noticed any suspicious activity in the areas around the time of the raids, is asked to contact their local Garda station.