Armed robbery accused denied bail
A man charged with the armed robbery of a convenience store in south Dublin has been refused bail at the District Court.
The man, who is aged in his 30s and has an address in Dublin, cannot be identified by direction of the court. He is charged with robbery and possession of an offensive weapon arising from an armed robbery on June 30 and a Garda search carried out the following day.
Giving evidence at Dún Laoghaire District Court, Garda Stephen Maguire said the robbery occurred at approximately 8.45pm on Monday, June 30. He said a man entered Centra in Sandyford Hall and demanded money from a 21-year-old cashier while holding and pointing a kitchen knife.
The man fled the scene on his bike with approximately €500 in cash, and no injuries were reported.
CCTV footage allegedly shows the suspect cycling past a pharmacy just before the incident, wearing a black tracksuit and Nike runners. Garda Maguire said the pharmacy footage shows the suspect’s face clearly visible, with a snood pulled down.
The following day, July 1, Gardaí stopped the accused not far from where the incident occurred. He was found in possession of a small satchel containing €490 in cash and a Stanley knife, the court heard.
Gardaí confirmed this was not the same knife that was used in the robbery the previous day.
The accused was arrested and detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984, for questioning.
A search was later carried out at an address where the accused’s partner and child currently live and the court heard that gardaí recovered a medium-sized kitchen knife from the property.
CCTV footage from the apartment complex allegedly shows the accused returning to the premises after the robbery, cycling a black bicycle. Garda Maguire said the cyclist appeared agitated and was looking over his shoulder on the footage.
Garda Maguire objected to bail under Section 2 of the Bail Act and the O’Callaghan principles, citing the seriousness of the charges, the strength of the evidence and concerns that the accused would commit further offences or fail to appear in court if released.
Defence barrister, Sylvia Maria Crowley BL, said that her client suffers from a movement disorder and psychosis and attends St James’s Hospital for ongoing mental health care. He does not hold a passport and was willing to stay away from the area where the robbery took place.
Judge Conor Fottrell said that while the accused was entitled to the presumption of innocence, the court had to weigh that against the seriousness of the charges, the need to protect the public and to ensure the accused returns to court for trial.
Judge Fottrell said he was satisfied that grounds existed to deny bail, based on the seriousness of the charges, the likely sentence if convicted and the strength of the evidence – including CCTV footage.
The court refused bail under Section 2 only, and the accused was remanded in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on July 8.
Legal aid was granted, and a request was made for medical attention for the accused in custody.