Suspended sentence for ‘barbaric’ attack on elderly
William Gammell, a father of four from An Cuirt, Monard, Co Tipperary, pleaded guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to a charge of aggravated burglary at the rural home of the Creed family at Ballyluddy, Pallasgreen, on the evening of May 31, 2012.
Gardaí have two other suspects in connection with the crime and the investigation remains open.
William Creed, aged 74, Chrissie Creed, aged 72, and Nora Creed, aged 66, were assaulted, tied up, and locked in a room by two men who entered their home at around 10pm.
Limerick Circuit Court previously heard that the three siblings “live a very primitive lifestyle” and were “subjected to extraordinary violence” during the incident.
Detective Garda Michael Reidy said Gammell collected two other men in the Cappawhite area of Limerick and dropped the raiders off in the vicinity of the Creed family home before the incident and collected them nearby afterwards.
The men, described in court as Mr X and Mr Y, were armed with a knife and a screwdriver as they entered the farmhouse.
Gammell, according to Det Garda Reidy, was at the “beck and call” of the raiders, whom he agreed were members of a ruthless criminal organisation.
The court heard that Gammell was arrested at his home on June 6, 2012, after investigating gardaí received confidential information about his involvement.
He made full and frank admissions in relation to his involvement, telling gardaí he did not know the full intentions of the gang members, the court heard.
Before imposing sentence, Judge Carroll Moran accepted that without Gammell’s admission there would have been no case against him.
He also took into account his previous good record, guilty plea, and evidence that he was threatened by others for agreeing to co-operate with the Garda investigation.
Judge Moran imposed a five-year sentence, suspended for five years.
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