AUTHORITIES in Tullamore, Co. Offaly are investigating an assault that happened outside at a McDonalds in the town centre, when a man waiting for his food was chased by another man wielding an axe.
Onlookers to the altercation failed to intervene, as they thought what they were seeing was a Halloween prank.
The male victim was waiting in his van at the drive-thru when a balaclava-clad attacker brandishing an axe ran towards his vehicle.
The driver fled his van and ran to the other side of the McDonald’s while being pursued by the attacker. It was only when the driver didn’t return to the van and his vehicle was holding up the queue at the drive-thru, that onlookers became concerned and phoned the Gardai.
The man was brought to the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore with non-life threatening injuries and was released shortly afterwards.
A female shop worker was witness to the scene; “I was leaving work when I saw Garda cars at McDonald's. A garda was talking to a man. He looked shaken up. I’m shocked to know what happened because that’s a family restaurant and there would have been kids around on a Sunday. There are lots of rumours going around online about what happened, but I can’t say what is true from what’s not – all I do know is it’s worrying to know this happened in such a busy place.”
Officers are examining CCTV footage from the area and made a public appeal for help.
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