A YOUNG mother has shared her story of how she fought off three teenagers who attacked her in a car park in Dublin.
Emma Hanrahan, aged 30 and from Dublin, was left with a knife wound on her leg after the three hooded teenagers attacked her from behind, with Ms Hanrahan revealing that, disturbingly, the teenagers laughed during the entire attack.
The Dubliner spoke to The Irish Independent where she revealed how she managed to stop the knife injuring her face and neck, and fought off the attackers until they fled.
Ms Hanrahan, who does volunteer work in the community of Balbriggan, was walking through the GAA pitch car park at around 6pm, after sunset, when she was hit on the back of her head from behind and pushed, face down, to the ground.
From where she was lying, Ms Hanrahan could see three pairs of feet, and suddenly felt a sharp pain in her leg as one of them cut her with a blade
"I just started punching and kicking as hard as I could," she said, "and I managed to knock one to the ground."
"I saw the weapon, which I reckon was a knife, coming at my face and neck but thankfully, I managed to get my hands up in time and the thickness of my jacket sleeve took the cuts."
Disturbingly, the 30-year-old recalled that "they were just laughing all the time" during the attack and were "only kids", estimating that they were about 17 or 18 years of age.
Ms Hanrahan told the outlet that she was not robbed by the teenagers, despite carrying her mobile phone and some cash in her cigarettes, and that one of them spoke in a "kind of gang slang".
After the attackers fled, Ms Hanrahan was helped up by an elderly man who had heard her screams, and the Gardaí arrived shortly afterwards. Ms Hanrahan was then taken home, where she was checked over by paramedics.
Despite suffering from a split lip and bruises from where she was kicked in her head and face, she was cut by the blade only on her leg, adding that her "thick jacket ... took the other stabs".
Ms Hanrahan said that her 10-year-old daughter was meant to be walking with her that night but decided against it, and admitted "I won't be going out for a walk on my own ever again".
"I grew up in a rough area of Dublin and I’m a tough cookie but this has really shaken me to the core," she said, adding that her life flashed before her eyes as she was jumped, and saw her partner, Rob, and her three daughters.
"I just can’t get it out of my head that they were laughing all the time they were lunging at me with a knife – they are just vile-mouthed animals.”
A spokesperson for An Garda Síochána confirmed to The Irish Independent that they are investigating an alleged assault which took place on Bath Road, Balbriggan on Friday, January 15 2021 at approximately 6.30pm.
No arrest have so far been made and investigations are ongoing.
