A Mayo businesswoman who was the victim of an aggravated burglary in December was subjected to another vicious attack yesterday afternoon.
Regina Sweeney (36) was tied to the stairs in her house and gagged with masking tape by two masked men.
They fled only when Ms Sweeney, the wife of a detective, managed to sound a panic button which set off an alarm and alerted gardaí.
It is believed the attackers rang the doorbell and Ms Sweeney opened the door to see two men standing there in balaclavas.
She was on her own at the time in her bridal boutique business, which she runs from her and her husband's home outside Castlebar. The intruders took a small amount of cash.
She was taken to hospital following the ordeal.
Ms Sweeney spoke out after her first ordeal and appeared on the Late Late Show last month in a discussion on rural crime.
In the attack on December 4th, she suffered a hairline crack of her cheekbone, bruised kidneys and a shoulder injury.