STREET HEROES
Dublin stabbing heroes ‘wrestled blade off knifeman before forming ring around him’ to protect kids and creche worker
'I saw a man stab the children. I jumped in and stopped it'
BRAVE have-a-go heroes have told how they “wrestled a blade” off a knifeman after three children and a creche worker were stabbed.
The children were said to be lining up outside a nursery in Dublin city Centre when the attack unfolded at midday yesterday.
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The youngsters' carer, a woman in her 30s, was also injured along with a man in his 50s.
The attack was only stopped when a heroic deliveroo driver sprung into action and stormed at the knifeman.
Siobhan Kearney was at the scene when the horror began - and rushed to help Caio Benicio, 43, as he tried to stop him.
The gran told the Irish Examiner: “I saw a man stab the children. I jumped in and stopped it; we all jumped in. I immediately defended the children.
“They were all screaming, the teachers were screaming, people were walking by not really sure what was going on. It wasn’t registering with everyone at that moment. This man was just waving this knife around, we got the knife off him and pushed it away.
“We then formed a ring around him. It was horrifying. In all my years I’ve never seen anything like this, children have never been in such danger. I’ve never seen that in Dublin in my life. That is not how children are treated.”
Brave Caio said he initially thought the commotion was a row between a man and a woman but was horrified when he realised that the man was attacking young children.
He said: "When I saw the knife I stopped my bike and acted on instinct. I saw him stab her many times in the chest. I don't know how many times, she was just a little girl, around five.
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"She was wearing a lot of clothes so I couldnt see blood but I saw him stabbing her.
"I took off my helmet and used it as a weapon and hit him in the head with all of my strength and he fell down on the ground. After he fell someone took the girl away and I hit him a couple of times.
"Others came to help. A lady told me to stop hitting him because she was afraid I'd kill him."
It comes as riots broke out on the streets of Dublin last night fuelled by unconfirmed rumours about the nationality of the alleged knifeman.
Hundreds of workers were drafted in this morning in a mass clean up operation, as piles of broken glass were swept from the streets and charred remains of burnt-out vehicles lifted into waiting trucks.
Horror clips are now being shared online of the violent yobs rushing through the streets, trying to fight cops, setting vehicles and businesses alight, and looting stores.
One terrifying video shows a Holiday Inn Express Hotel being set on fire as thugs wreak havoc outside.
Another shows tens of yobs circling a cop on O'Connell's bridge before shouting and battering him.
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Irish PM, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar this morning dubbed the riots Dublin's "night of shame".
He said those involved in the riots "brought shame on Dublin, brought shame on Ireland and brought shame on their families and themselves."