Suspect held as Garda sprayed with ammonia

Cop hurt after stopping car thieves

- MICHAEL O'TOOLE

DETECTIVES were questioning a woman last night after a garda had ammonia sprayed into his eyes when he was trying to arrest suspected car thieves.

The shocking incident happened in the Basin Street area of south inner city Dublin late on Thursday night and colleagues of the young uniformed officer rushed him to the nearby St James's Hospital for treatment.

He was later discharged.

The suspect, who is a woman in her 30s, was a passenger in the stolen car and was arrested at the scene. She can be held for up to 24 hours.

She is suspected of attacking the garda. The drama began at around 9pm when the officers saw a hire car suspected to be one that had been reported stolen in the city several weeks earlier.