The perpetrators of an aggravated burglary in Roscommon last week must be hit with the full force of the law.
That's the view of national crime journalist Paul Williams in response to the incident in Ballintubber that saw four masked men hold a 93 year old and her two sons hostage while they ransacked the house.
One son in his 60s received minor injuries following the ordeal but did not require hospital treatment.
Gardaí are calling on anyone with information on the incident or who noticed anything suspicious in the Ballintubber area on the 21st or 22nd of August to contact them on 094 9620019.
Speaking to the Joe Finnegan Show this morning, Paul Williams says that the suspects should receive no mitigation in the course of any trial.
The Leitrim native believes an example has to be made to discourage this sort of crime:
This is the epitome of per-meditation when it comes to criminality.
It is planned and staked out, they know who they are coming after.
They know absolutely, when they go into the house like this to terrify these people, what they're going to do.
That means there is no room for mitagation.
There should be no mitigation or consideration of mitigation to reduce their sentence or excuse them in any way.
It is an inexcusable and unforgivable crime.
