Dad of vulnerable Ashbourne teen mugged at knife point vows to get justice for son

The devastated father of an vulnerable teenager who was mugged at knife point by a gang of masked youths in Ashbourne on Halloween night has vowed to get justice for his son.

The youngster who was approached by the group as he walked home on 31st October was threatened with the deadly weapon and had his phone stolen in the terrifying incident that occurred on Frederick Street at approximately 9.30pm.

The horrific ordeal only ended when a passing motorist stopped and came to the boy's aid.

Gardai are investigating the incident but it is understood that no arrests have been yet made.

The victim's father who has asked to speak anonymously to protect his son's identity, this morning met with Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee who promised to help the family to get the perpetrators before the courts.

Frustrated by what he perceives as a lack of action by Gardai, The Ashbourne resident says he "will go to the ends of the earth" to get justice for his son.

"I'm not going to let this go, this is my crusade now as far as I'm concerned," said the angry dad.

"My son is suffering unmercifully, he is terrified at the minute," he added.

"He suffers from anxiety and this has really hit him hard."

What started out as a fun evening, ended in a Halloween nightmare as the concerned father explains:

"We were encouraging him to go out with his friends and join in on the Halloween thing so he went off to a friend's house where they had a mini Halloween party.

"I was in regular contact with him throughout the evening and he started walking back to our house around 9pm. I had warned him to not go down any alley ways and to stick to the main roads which he did.

"When he reached Frederick Street opposite Dunnes Stores, between four and six lads in masks grabbed him, roughed him up a bit and threatened to stab him multiple times, then they physically held him until he unlocked the phone and they took a wallet and took cash. They also riffled through his bag that he had with him."

The family is desperate to speak to the passer by who saved the youngster from any more harm.

"A passer by stopped the car, let a roar and these fellas took off and he took my son in the car to the Garda station," said the Ashbourne man.

"If he didn't come along when he did, things were going to get an awful lot worse.

"Thank god for this person, we are so grateful and we'd love to get in touch with them to thank them.

The frustrated dad who says he was left to make enquiries and source potentially crucial CCTV footage himself regarding the incident due to a lack of urgency from authorities says he is "not letting this go."

"I met with Helen McEntee earlier today and she has made a commitment to assist us and stay in touch with us about the situation.

"My fear is that the next time an incident like this happens, someone could end up dead."

Gardaí are appealing for any witnesses or anyone who may have been travelling on Frederick Street between 9.10pm and 9.40pm on this date and has Dashcam footage, to please contact Ashbourne Garda Station on 01-8010600 or the Garda Confidential Line at 1800 666 111.