A mother who was viciously assaulted on a roadside remained in critical condition as she fought for her life over the weekend. Identified locally as Scarlett Faulkner in her twenties, she was discovered with severe head injuries on the R494 at Birdhill by emergency services on Saturday.
The incident took place in Co Tipperary, near the towns of Ballina and Killaloe, between Nenagh and Limerick. The area where Ms. Faulkner was found was secured by Gardaí, as reported by the Irish Mirror.
Gardaí closed the R494 road in both directions to facilitate forensic investigations at the scene. It is suspected that Ms. Faulkner was assaulted by one or more individuals armed with weapons, and left injured by the roadside around 5:30 pm on Saturday.
Belonging to a respected Traveller family from Limerick city, Ms. Faulkner was initially treated by HSE paramedics before being airlifted to University Hospital Limerick (UHL) by a Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter.
Following scans at UHL, Ms. Faulkner was transferred to the head trauma unit at Cork University Hospital. Her family shared her photos on social media, requesting prayers for her recovery, as described by Gardaí as a “critical” situation.
Messages of love and support poured in on social media for Ms. Faulkner, with one post urging everyone to pray for her swift recovery. Gardaí appealed for witnesses who were on the R494 between Birdhill and the M7 motorway on the day of the incident to provide any camera footage to aid in the investigation.
Investigations are ongoing, and anyone with information is urged to contact Nenagh Garda Station or the Garda Confidential Line.
