An armed robbery was foiled in a Dublin post office yesterday when the raider was tackled by a man carrying a Bible and described by witnesses as a preacher.
Armed with a knife and an imitation firearm and wearing a balaclava, the raider was attempting to rob the post office on Botanic Avenue at around 10.30am yesterday morning when two customers attacked him.
The raider and one of the customers, believed to be an African preacher, struggled and fell through the office's front window on to the street. The raider suffered minor injuries and was arrested by gardaí.
The African man, who is believed to live on Botanic Avenue, was taken to the Mater hospital with head injuries and has since been discharged.
Gardaí arrested a 20-year-old man and he is being held at Store Street Garda station under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.
Gordon Johnson, a meat worker who was passing by, told RTÉ's Liveline that he rang gardaí while the man held the raider on the ground.
"The guy's head was split wide open with the glass. He stayed on him. He wouldn't get off him. Fair play to him, very brave," he said.
He told the programme that the preacher was threatened by the raider.
"Your man said: 'Get off me, I'll kill you,' but he said: 'God is on my side, you won't kill me."
A spokeswoman for An Post said that they were concerned for the wellbeing of all the customers in the post office as well as the man.
"This gentleman was injured and other people were badly shocked. We are all shocked about what happened," she said.
An Post had a team in place to ensure that everyone who was affected by the raid got whatever treatment they needed.
The Botanic Road Post Office will remain closed for the weekend while gardaí gather forensic evidence.