Priest threatened during robbery in Kildare
Tuesday, 16 March 1999 12:36A priest was threatened with a knife and a gun was pointed at him during a robbery at his home in Sallins County Kildare this morning. Two men forced their way into Father Colm Swan's house shortly before seven o'clock, tied him up and demanded cash.
Fr. Swan was threatened with a knife before being taken to his bedroom where the culprits found a small amount of cash. The culprits fled when an alarm was let off.
At around a quarter to seven this morning, Fr. Colm Swan answered a knock at his home in Sallins, only to be met by two intruders who forced him back into the house and tied him up with a rope. The men demanded money and became very aggressive when the priest told them there was none in the house.
They then ransacked the house and found the Fr Swan's legally held shotgun. They loaded the gun and pointed it at the priest again demanding money. Fr Swan managed to press a panic button during the attack and the two men fled taking with them the gun, a gold watch and fifty pounds from the priest's wallet.
One of the robbers is described as thirty five to forty years of age wearing a blue woollen cap, the other was about fifty years old, a smaller man who wore a zipped wind-sheeter. Both were described as dirty in appearance. Gardaí are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
