A MOTORCYCLIST who was shot in the face by raiders who thought he was following their get away car underwent emergency eye surgery in a Dublin hospital last night.
The man suffered "a serious injury to the left eye", a spokeswoman for the Eye and Ear Hospital, Dublin, said. His condition was described as "satisfactory" after a one hour operation.
Mr Thomas Hall (26), of Saggart, Co Dublin, was shot as he drove along a quiet country lane near his home, at around 11 a.m. His motorcycle helmet may have saved his life.
Gardai believe raiders in a car in front of Mr Hall, who were making their getaway after robbing a supermarket in Saggart village, panicked when they thought the motorcyclist was following them.
Three armed and masked men held up the supermarket at around 10.45 a.m., forcing customers to lie on the ground and holding a sawn off shotgun to the head of one member of staff. They took "a substantial sum of money", believed to be thousands of pounds, from the shop safe.
A fourth gang member was waiting outside in a gold coloured Volvo, stolen on Scholarstown Road, Dublin 16, on Thursday.
"They said very little, they just demanded money," said a staff member who did not wish to be named.
The raiders drove towards' Tallaght. However, as they were leaving Saggart, Mr Hall drove up behind them and sounded his horn at his sister who was walking along the road.
The thieves turned up a side road. Mr Hall took the same turn, heading towards his parents' home.
Gardai believe the criminals then panicked. They stopped, and one man shot Mr Hall as he approached them.
The four men then ran off across fields. Mr Hall walked home and raised the alarm.
An intensive Garda search was begun, assisted by two Air Corps helicopters, but the men were not found.
