Elderly woman knocked down and told 'go f*** yourself' in scrambler attack
An elderly Dublin woman in her 80s was knocked to the ground by scrambler-riding youths who told her to “go f*** yourself” as she tried to get up.
The shocking incident was revealed during a September Special Council Meeting calling for urgent government action to tackle the growing “scourge” of illegal scrambler bikes. The motion was put forward by Social Democrats Councillor Daniel Ennis, who called for a dedicated policing and policy plan to deal with the issue he described as intertwined with “open drug dealing” and “anti-social behaviour.”
Independent Cllr Vincent Jackson said the elderly woman spoke with him about the incident and that he finds it difficult to comprehend how society has gotten to this point. “You can't buy fireworks in Ireland, yet you can buy scramblers and electric bikes,” he said, questioning how this problem was allowed to escalate unchecked for so long.
Cllr Ennis highlighted videos on social media “taunting the guards and doing circles around them” and cited further citizens being attacked by scrambler riding youths. “Summerhill is now effectively a scrambler track, it’s madness,” he said.
The issue drew strong support across the council, with Labour Cllr Dermot Lacey stating that anti-social behaviour in Dublin had reached “epidemic proportions” and that many no longer feel safe in the city. He cited a lack of community safety forums and low levels of engagement with Gardaí as a major point of concern.
Independent Cllr Cieran Perry said the lack of urgency over the past decade on this problem is “astonishing.” He called for Gardaí to seize bikes directly from the homes of offenders. “Everyone knows who these people are. Let’s take the bikes off them, they’re expensive and that will show them there’s consequences to their actions.”
However, others focused more on prevention rather than punishment, with People Before Profit Cllr Conor Reddy stating Dublin needs a “different approach.” “I’m not one for law and order, I don’t think it works. I think evidence of the ‘war on drugs’ over decades proves that,” he said.
Fianna Fáil Cllr Keith Connolly stated there have been some successes with Garda operations and mentioned the dozens of scramblers that have been seized by police in Ballymun. “But they just buy them again the next day,” he added.
A “zero-tolerance” approach to unlicensed vehicles is what’s needed according to Fianna Fáil Cllr Daryl Barron. He also called for early education in schools to stop young people being drawn into criminality and drug dealing.
Cllr Barron said he’s heard reports of Garda feeling powerless to stop juvenile offenders, for fear that they could be prosecuted for attacking youths. “We want to see that the Garda are empowered to deal and tackle this,” he said.
Sinn Féin Councillor Janice Boylan said this increasing problem will lead to “more injuries, more danger, and potentially more deaths.” With a need for proper youth diversion initiatives, she stressed this is an issue that needs more attention from not just councillors, but also TDs and ministers.
There were also warnings about the impact on migrant communities from Fine Gael Cllr Supriya Singh. “This is not just anti-social behaviour, it’s destroying the very fabric of our society. It is appalling that people live in fear because of the colour of their skin,” she said.
Social Democrats Cllr Jesslyn Henry spoke about her personal connection to the issue, having lost two students and a neighbour to scrambler-related deaths. “That’s three young men who could have been saved with a plan in place,” she said.
Drug-related recruitment of children was a major concern for Independent Cllr Gavin Pepper, who said drug dealers “buy scramblers for kids” and this leads them into criminality. Green Cllr Janet Horner stated that if there were proper policing committees set up “we wouldn’t be having this debate.”
Sinn Féin Councillor Daithí Doolan said this is not an issue that can “solved by policing alone.” He slammed years of government cuts to community and family services, which have only deepened social problems, like scrambler-related crime.
In closing, Cllr Ennis reflected on his own youth and said that he had been “saved by a diversion programme” and that it’s important to offer the same opportunities to others. Following this, the Council agreed to call on the Minister for Justice to urgently develop and implement a comprehensive, dedicated policing and policy plan to address the ongoing scourge of illegal scrambler use on city streets.
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