A 48-year-old man was described as being in a stable condition at Wexford General Hospital last night after being abducted and found tied to a pole by two early morning walkers.
The man, who was severely beaten, was found tied to a telephone pole in the corner of a field in an isolated area at Ballyprecus, near Bunclody, Co Wexford, by two women out walking at 9.30am yesterday.
The fully clothed victim's hands and legs were tied to the pole with a belt. The married man was approached by two men at Mill Street, Tullow, Co Carlow, at approximately 1.30am as he left a pub after playing cards. They asked him for a cigarette and then for a lift home.
He drove them just a short distance when another man got into his white Ford pick-up truck at the bridge in Tullow.
It is unclear whether the victim was attacked then, or whether he drove on before he was beaten.
There was a change of driver along the 20km from Tullow, however, before the victim was tied to the telephone pole in an isolated area.
He was left there for a number of hours before the women found him in with his face covered in blood and marks and bruises on his face and body.
He was also suffering from shock and exposure from the cold and wet.
He was brought to Wexford General Hospital, but his injuries prevented gardaí from having more than just a brief interview.
"We need to speak [ further] with the victim, because at this stage we haven't got a motive," said Supt John Roche.
"Until we speak with the victim, we won't get a clearer picture of what happened."
Gardaí have no descriptions of the man's assailants at this stage, but they did find his burnt-out van about 6km from where the victim was found.
They are appealing for anyone who may have noticed anything suspicious in Tullow between midnight and 2am or in Bunclody later on to contact them at Gorey (055-30690), Bunclody (054-77102), or Tullow (059- 9151222).