THE UNIVERSITY of Limerick has condemned alleged anti-social behaviour following reports of extensive criminal damage at a vacant property in College Court, Castletroy.
Gardaí were called to the estate shortly before 1 am on Wednesday following reports of a large public gathering. Thousands of euros worth of damage is understood to have been caused at the house, with investigations ongoing.
It’s understood videos of furniture being thrown out the upstairs window of the house in College Court are being reviewed by Gardaí as part of the investigation.
The six-bedroom house was on the market last year with an asking price of €445,000. Despite “sale agreed” on the online advert, there is no listing of a sale price on the Property Register to date.
In a statement, the University said it was aware of the incident, which took place off-campus, and stressed that such behaviour is a matter of serious concern.
“While the vast majority of students are respectful and valued members of the community, the University recognises that instances of anti-social behaviour, including property damage, public disorder and other actions that negatively impact residents, are a matter of serious concern,” a university spokesperson said.
UL Student Life also criticised the alleged behaviour, saying it was “deeply shocked and disappointed” by reports that any student may have been involved in criminal damage or anti-social conduct.
Provost and Deputy President Professor Ann Ledwith said the university takes complaints involving students seriously and has procedures in place to address alleged breaches of its code of conduct.
She said complaints concerning individuals are treated with “the utmost seriousness” and that disciplinary processes exist to investigate allegations where appropriate.
The incident has reignited concerns among local residents about anti-social behaviour in student-populated areas of Castletroy, although Gardaí have not established whether those involved were students.
Gardaí are appealing to anyone who was in the College Court area at the time of the incident, particularly those with dashboard camera, CCTV or mobile phone footage, to contact Henry Street Garda Station as investigations continue.