Gun held to woman’s head in robbery

AN Asian national appeared at a special sitting of Nenagh District Court yesterday charged in connection with an armed robbery of a betting shop at the weekend.

Xuefeng Bai, aged 24, of no fixed abode, was charged with robbery and possession of a firearm at Ladbrokes betting shop in Silver Street, Nenagh.

Judge Michael Reilly remanded the accused in custody to appear at Nenagh District Court on Friday.

The accused is alleged to have entered the betting shop just after it opened on Saturday at around 10am.

He allegedly brandished a revolver and held it to the head of a female staff member before making off with a sum of money.

Staff notified gardaí who launched an immediate search around the town.

They spotted a man fitting the description of the robber about a half a mile away outside the local post office at Ashe Road.

Gardaí Ronan Hayes, Paul Stanley and Stuart Beatty, who were unarmed, were aware they were dealing with an armed suspect.

The man tried to run away but the gardaí chased and overpowered him.

He was arrested and was found to be in possession of a hand gun, a knife and a sum of money.

“They carried out a remarkably professional arrest in what was a potentially a very dangerous situation,” Superintendent Bob Noonan said.

He said the female staff member who was threatened was severely traumatised by the raid.

The suspect was detained under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act.