A man has been arrested by gardaí investigating a series of violent assaults on a woman who was kicked in the head in broad daylight in Limerick city centre.
A video of the shocking incident which occurred yesterday in the Arthur’s Quay and Patrick Street area went viral after it was shared thousands of miles across social media platforms.
A Garda source described the footage as “nasty”.
The video footage begins with a male performing a dangerous “big-boot” wrestling move on the woman as she rushes towards him outside the front entrance of the shopping centre.
The woman is sent backwards onto the footpath from the impact of the man’s kick to her face, as members of the public, including children, look on.
The “big-boot” is synonymous with TV wrestling fights where one wrestler uses the momentum of their opponent to counter-attack them by extending their leg into their face as they rush towards them.
Despite being knocked the ground the woman gets to her feet and follows the man. As the pair continue to remonstrate with one another the woman is joined by a second woman and an older man.
The man who had kicked the woman pulls up his shirt a number of times pointing to his chest. The woman then runs at the man and appears to try to kick him, she continues following him and he throws a punch at her face.
The woman continues remonstrating with the man who then performs a karate-style high-kick into the first woman’s head.
The woman continues walking after the man who appears to be attempting to leave the scene and the man lashes out at her again, kicking her into her upper body.
A few moments later the woman squares up to the man who can be heard telling her, “I don't want to fight you, stay away from me...please stay away.”
The woman continues to remonstrate with the man who then turns back towards and appears to strike the woman’s head, and she stumbles into a wall.
A female onlooker can be heard screaming at the man, asking him “what the f**k are you doing, don’t touch her”.
A male onlooker can be heard stating “oh my f*****g god, oh my f*****g god, oh my f*****g god, oh my f*****g god” and then laughs.
The woman continues following the man, at one point she appears to pick something up off the ground and attempts to strike the man in the face.
The woman then appears to scold a boy who walks towards her and appears to be trying to calm the situation. For a moment the man and woman appear to link hands before they go at each other again.
The older man returns and puts his arms around the woman, telling her, “walk away, f**k him”. However, the woman breaks free from the older man’s grasp and runs at the first man again who kicks her into her chest, sending her to the ground again.
The woman gets to her feet again and follows the man who pushes her and she falls between the footpath and a parked car.
A female onlooker can be heard at one point in the footage, screaming, “go up and kill him”.
On Wednesday, a garda spokesman said: “Gardaí investigating a public/violent disorder incident in the Arthur’s Quay – Patrick’s Street area of Limerick city which occurred yesterday evening, 20th June 2023, have arrested a man (20s).
“He is currently being detained in a Limerick Garda Station under Section 4 of The Criminal Justice Act 1984. Gardaí are appealing to anyone who may have witnessed this incident to come forward.
“Gardaí can be contacted at Henry Street Garda Station on 061 212400, the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111 or any Garda Station. Investigations are ongoing.”
