Dublin knifeman ‘stopped by Deliveroo driver’ as children stabbed in street
Young children among five people injured in bloodbath that led to violent riots breaking out across Irish capital
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A Deliveroo driver has claimed he stopped a knifeman who was stabbing children in the street outside a school in Dublin on Thursday.
Caio Benicio, 43, said he jumped off his moped and smashed the attacker to the ground using his helmet, helping to end the bloodbath that left five people injured in Parnell Square East, near the Irish-medium primary school Gaelscoil Cholaiste Mhuire.
The Brazil-born delivery driver said he was among the members of the public who were hailed as heroes after stepping in on Thursday to save the victims injured in the attack, that later sparked violent riots in the Irish capital.
Two young girls are receiving treatment for serious injuries, while a five-year-old boy has been discharged. An adult woman and an adult man both remain in hospital after suffering serious wounds.
Belfast Telegraph reported that the wounded woman currently in hospital is a creche worker who has also been praised as a hero after she stepped in to try to protect the children in her care during the attack.
It is understood that she tackled the attacker but not before he managed to stab the five-year-old girl, who is currently fighting for her life in hospital.
People were urged to work from home on Friday, as police said “significant levels” of public disorder and criminal damage have been carried out with trams, buses, cars and other public properties set on fire during the violent clashes on Thursday night.
Labelling them “disgraceful scenes”, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said a “complete lunatic faction driven by far-right ideology” is behind disorder in the capital.
Police believe the attack was a “standalone” incident and is not terror-related. The scene remains cordoned off, while a man in his 50s has been arrested and named as a “person of interest” in the investigation.
A police source told the Irish Daily Mail: “We have to say fair play to those people who stepped in. They gave that man a good hiding to make sure he wasn't going to get up and hurt more people, but I can tell you now that they saved lives.”
A source told the Belfast Telegraph of the creche worker’s role in the incident: “This all happened in a matter of seconds and after her very brave actions another two children suffered superficial stabbing injuries to their chest and shoulder in what was a frenzied incident.
“She defended those children with all her strength – all that she was doing was trying to protect those little kids and people in what was is a very built up area in the city centre saw what was happening when they passed the school.”
“At this stage a number of very brave members of the public including pedestrians and cyclists arrived on the scene and the suspect was taken down after he was hit with a motorcycle helmet in the face,” the source added.
Father-of-two Mr Benicio told his friends of his role in the incident in a voice message he sent to friends on Thursday night, according to Brazilian newspaper O Tempo. He said: “I saw the guy pulling the teacher, picking up the child. I stopped to see what was happening, I thought it was a normal fight.”
However, when the attacker pulled a knife, he said: “Man, I threw the bike on the ground and went after the guy ... I didn't even think about it. I took off my helmet and hit the helmet on his head, which knocked the guy down.”
Speaking to The Journal, he added: “I didn’t even make a decision, it was pure instinct, and it was all over in seconds. He fell to the ground, I didn’t see where [the] knife went, and other people stepped in.”
He said he has been thinking of the five-year-old girl, whom he saw brutally attacked. “I am praying, it's all I am thinking of. I saw her in the ambulance, she looked so vulnerable. I had to go with gardai then. I am waiting for news about her. I am hoping.”