horror chase Longford family feared for their lives as they ran from attacker linked to feud

A LONGFORD family say they want nothing to do with an ongoing feud after a man allegedly chased three victims, including two terrified teenage girls, with a slash-hook through an estate in the town and made threats.

Gardaí seized a hatchet at a house in Abbeylara on Tuesday - five days after Margaret Ward (42) and her relatives Shakira Joyce (16) and Caitlyn Joyce (15) said they were allegedly threatened by a man, who they recognised in Pauric Colum Heights in Longford.

Margaret told the Sunday World: "We're lucky that me, Caitlyn and Shakira are alive today.

"A red car pulled up in front of us and he jumped out with a slash-hook. He was shouting and screaming saying: 'I'm going to kill you.' I said to the girls to run so they ran.

"Caitlyn fell and slipped on the ice. He slipped and was still waving his slash hook.

"Afterwards, his wife came at me in the car and then started shouting out the window at me. I feared for my life.

"This is not a family feud. I don't know these people. At the end of the day we're only walking to the shop. We're quiet people.

"We're not getting any sleep at night. I'm afraid for my life and my husband's life and the girl's life," Margaret said.

Caitlyn described the incident as "very frightening", particularly when she fell over as she tried to run away.

Shakira told the Sunday World she was left terrified following the incident in Pauric Colum Heights last Thursday week.

"It was very scary. We were just coming down the road, walking to the shop and a car sped up and came at us. [A man] jumped out of the car with his weapon and made swipes at us and ran after us.

"Me and my little cousin hid in someone's garden behind the car. We were looking out to see if he'd go and he wouldn't go. We ran out of the garden and tried to run home but he was still there.

"He was shouting after us saying you can run all you want but we're still going to get you.

"He was threatening my grandfather's gravestone saying he was going to break it and dig up my grandfather's bones and throw his bones in Pauric Colum Heights," she said.

"I couldn't sleep for days afterwards. I'm afraid to leave the house to go to the shops in case he comes back to threaten me to drop the charges or anything," Shakira added.

The family say they believe the incident is linked to a violent feud which they say they have no part in.

The feud became extremely serious after a gang burst into a home in Northern Ireland looking for Gramsey Joyce on November 16, 2019.

He wasn't in the house at the time and 14-year-old Geraldine Maughan was attacked with a machete when she used her body to protect her baby godson.

Mr Joyce's wife, Lizzie, was also injured in the attack.

Shakira's mother, Annemarie, who is a first cousin of Gramsey Joyce, said her family had nothing to do with the attack but believes that it is what led to the recent incident in Longford.

She added that they don't want anything to do with the feud.

"We rear our children up for no trouble. We told them we don't want trouble. I think ignoring them - not retaliating and letting the law deal with them - is what to do."

Caitlyn's mother, Ellie, said her family want nothing to do with the feud.

"We don't want to be dragged into this feud. It terrified the girls. They were threatening and calling names to the family and said he would come back.

"There's a feud going on but we have nothing got to do with that," she said.

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