Gardaí in Limerick are investigating a violent assault in which a 51-year-old man had his feet nailed to the floor at a house in the city.

Details of the horrific attack emerged at a special sitting of Limerick District Court on Thursday night when gardaí applied for extra time to question two men arrested on suspicion of withholding information about the incident.

In his evidence to the court, Det Garda Jim Ryan described how the victim was lured to a house on the south side of Limerick city on September 14th last after receiving a call on his mobile phone.

Upon arriving he was invited into the house, but when he entered the kitchen he was set upon by a number of people wearing white boiler suits.

The 51-year-old was attacked, held down and put in a sitting position on a chair.

Nail gun

What’s believed to have been a nail gun was then used to fire a number of nails into his feet which went through his feet and into the floor.

The 51-year-old also suffered a blow to the left side of his face and an eye injury.

The assailants left and the victim managed to escape. With the help of a friend he went to University Hospital Limerick, where he was treated for his injuries.

In his evidence, Det Supt Ryan said the two men, aged 50 and 52, are believed to be in possession of information about the people responsible for the assault and false imprisonment of the injured party.

He said both men have given various accounts of their whereabouts on the day of the incident.

Forensic samples

Forensic samples were taken from the scene and are being analysed.

The court heard DNA profiling will be “very relevant” to the inquiry.

A total of 25 gardaí are working on the investigation along with a dedicated forensic scientist in Dublin.

After being told the investigation was being carried out expeditiously, Judge Aeneas McCarthy granted gardaí a further 24 hours to question the two men.