A man has been arrested in connection with an armed robbery in County Laois last weekend.
Shots were fired following the incident at the Emo filling station on the Portlaoise Road in Mountrath at around 12:35am last Saturday 19th August.
A man entered the filling station wearing a balaclava and threatened a staff member with a firearm.
The suspect made off with an amount of cash - but subsequently crashed his getaway car outside a house in Derrykearn.
When the occupants of the house checked the well-being of the driver, a shot was fired.
The suspect then fled in a second car - allegedly stolen from the occupants of the house - but again collided with a tree approximately one-and-a-half kilometres from the original collision.
He was removed to Tullamore General hospital in a serious condition.
The gun and money were later recovered by gardaí.
A 31-year-old man is due to appear before the Criminal Courts of justice in Dublin this morning charged in connection with the incident.
Gardaí said their investigations are ongoing.
