Stolen jeep ploughs through garden wall of cancer sufferer
By Maurice Garvey
A great-grandmother recovering from cancer survived another ordeal this week, when joyriders ploughed through her front garden wall.
The stolen jeep crashed through the wall at Coldcut Road/Harelawn Park, and came to a halt just yards from where Vera Ashton (77) was watching television in her front room.
Ms Ashton, who has lived in the house for 36 years, says she has been trying to get South Dublin County Council to raise the height of the wall for 20 years.
“I heard a loud bang, and at first I thought it was my son upstairs,” said Ms Ashton.
The jeep was involved in a near collision with a taxi on Sunday at approximately 10.45pm, and careered from Coldcut Road, onto the path, and straight through the garden wall.
Three lads in the jeep fled the scene when the vehicle came to a halt.
Ms Ashton continued: “I just finished up chemotherapy (for breast cancer) five weeks ago, and haven’t been out properly in months. Twice before, a car has banged into the wall. It’s a very busy road.”
Located on the corner of Harelawn Park/Coldcut Road, the great-grandmother’s front garden is very large, and attracts anti-social behaviour, loitering and dumping.
“At times with the dumping, syringes have been left at the side of the house. I was promised the council would increase the height of the wall in March but nothing happened. When I called this week, someone told me to clean up the debris myself. How am I in a position to do that?”
A neighbour Trisha Collins, called around to check on Ms Ashton after the incident, but found herself in difficulty – she tripped on one of the concrete blocks scattered across the driveway, cutting her forehead.
“We were lucky it wasn’t more serious, and somehow, the parked car in the driveway survived any damage,” said Ms Collins.
Sinn Féin Councillor Mark Ward, said changes to the wall “should have been done by now”, as he first referred the matter to SDCC in November 2016.
“The council agreed to raise the wall in February. It went out to tender in May, but nothing has happened,” said Cllr Ward.
“I got back in touch with the council yesterday, and they will go out and view it this week, and try to get it done asap. The location of the house, on the corner, is kind of isolated, and leads to short cuts for people and kids hanging out on the wall.
“The family have a right to be angry. SDCC need to get the finger out.”
A council contractor was out to remove the loose debris on Tuesday.
South Dublin County Council did not reply to The Echo at the time of going to print.
