It's a story that will inevitably prompt alternate emotions of outright rage and deep sympathy. Rage at the sheer neck of some brazen car thieves in Limerick, who stole a young man’s pride and joy, his show-car, then demanded a payoff to return it. And sympathy for the young victim of this crime, the son of Anthony, who called Liveline this afternoon.

“He’s an 18-year-old apprentice, he’s had the car since he was 15 years old, he has put his life and soul into it.”

The car in question was stolen over the weekend at a well-known shopping centre in Limerick. When it was taken, its 18-year-old owner put a message on his Facebook page, including contact details, hoping somebody might see what he described as his “baby”. Anthony described what happened next.

“While we were looking for it, we got a phone call to say that they had the car and would we be interested in buying it back.”

Initially demanding €1000 for its safe return, Anthony managed to negotiate them down to €750. He had already called the Gardaí, who had the car on their radar. But he proceeded to negotiate, finally reaching something of an impasse.

“Eventually, they wanted me to meet down an alley with €750, on my own, no one around. I started laughing, saying 'there is no way I’m going down an alleyway. You want me to trust you?' It went downhill from there. Intimidating me, saying they were going to burn it, take the wheels off it, do this to it, do that to it.”

And that is exactly what they did. As Anthony and his son drove around the city, they got a tipoff, and eventually came across the car. But when the thieves saw them, a group of 10 or 12 surrounding the vehicle, they tossed in a can of petrol and burned the car out, jeering as they did so.

Anthony's son is an apprentice, earning just €190 a week. Aged 18, this will destroy his insurance, and the money and passion he has poured into the vehicle over the years has now gone up in smoke.

“Our house is turned upside down now,”, said Anthony. “I know it’s only a car, but it’s his car, it’s a show car, he goes to shows with it. He comes home, after a full week working. I’m proud of him, I am 100% proud of him…. But please, people, beware of shopping centres in

Limerick. They are walking around, they are looking for cars to take, they don’t care about the consequences.”

To listen to the full story, click here.