Duo charged with Ballymahon road incidents

Two youths, both aged under 18, have been charged in relation to break-ins and criminal damage at three premises in the Ballymahon Road area of Athlone.

The alleged offences took place in the early hours of Tuesday morning, May 3. The first occurred at the Busy Kids creche at 12.30am.

Sergeant Michelle Baker of Athlone Garda Station said a window of an office was smashed to gain entry to the building, activating an alarm on-site. It’s understood that nothing was stolen from the premises.

Then at around 1am, the front door of the Athlone Regional Sports Centre was smashed in and a vending machine was damaged.

Gardai were on the scene within minutes of the alarm activation at the sports facility, however the perpetrators had already fled the scene.

Sergeant Baker said a third incident of criminal damage occurred in the early hours of the same morning at a pharmacy close to the SuperValu supermarket on the Ballymahon Road. The youths were arrested two days later and charged in relation to the incidents.