A MAN IS due in court this morning having been charged by gardaí investigating the alleged robbery of a dog from its owner. 

Denis McCarthy was walking his French bulldog on Ballincollie Road in Ballyvolane, Cork, when the man threatened him with a hammer and robbed the dog on April 11.

Denis said the man had repeatedly tried to strike him with the hammer before snatching Rocco and fleeing in a car.

A social media plea by Denis helped gardaí track down the alleged suspect in the case and they recovered the dog. 

Gardaí had been investigating the incident and yesterday they arrested a man in his 20s for questioning. 

A garda spokesperson said that following questioning he was charged and is due before Cork District Court later this morning. 

In a statement gardaí said they arrested and charged a man in relation to the robbery.

“At around 4.30pm a man was out walking his dog when a car pulled up beside him. A man exited the car, armed with what is believed to be a hammer, and threatened the man to hand over his dog. The dog was then taken and put in the car, which then left the area.

“The incident was reported to Gardaí and as part of the investigation the dog was recovered by Detective Gardaí from Watercourse Road and returned to the owner on April 12.

“A man, aged in his late 20s, was arrested on April 19 and detained at Mayfield Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. He has since been charged and is due to appear before Cork City District Court this morning at 10.30am,” the spokesperson said.

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