Munster Express Online

Tramore Gardai are investigating a serious assault that occurred on a weekend night recently on Turkey Road when a man and woman were attacked in an unprovoked assault that turned out to be a nasty ‘happy slappy’ episode.

The man concerned had been ringing for a taxi when he was approached by a woman not known to him who slapped him across the face. The victim was then attacked by an accomplice of this woman attacker. Other assailants later joined in and the episode was filmed on mobile camera phones.

This type of assault is known as a ‘slappy happy’ episode and it is perpetrated with the specific intention of the thugs filming their deeds which are sometimes put up on the internet.

This was not the first such assault in Tramore and it is believed that a gang has carried out similar attacks on other innocent parties. On this occasion the victim was able to defend himself to some extent, but did require medical attention.

The Gardai are aware of such incidents and are keen to arrest the gang involved which appears to lurk near late night entertainment venues in the town. They then pounce on unsuspecting people on their way home from a pleasant night out.

More public lighting and CCTV could combat such situations in the lower part of Tramore and could be a priority in advance of the summer season when more

People will be in that area.

Last week, such assaults made national headlines and featured on RTE’s Late Late Show.