Boy buying chips told he would have his throat cut

A 13-year-old buying chips for himself was grabbed and threatened that his throat would be cut with a Stanley blade by a raider demanding money from the employee behind the fast food restaurant’s counter.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin jailed Eoin O’Sullivan, aged 27, of 21 Bridevalley View, Fairhill, Cork, for five years for the armed raid at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

O’Sullivan pleaded guilty to the robbery of €85 at Murph’s chipper on the Old Youghal Road in Cork on October 27, 2013, and producing a knife during the crime.

Judge Ó Donnabháin said yesterday: “You were armed with a Stanley, you made threats to the worker and to an innocent 13-year-old in there buying his chips.

“I have heard of your spate of robberies [three filling station robberies] earlier in the week. I regard the level of violence and threats in this as being at a different level. You put people in fear.

“You had a vehicle waiting outside to get away.”

Sergeant Kieran O’Sullivan said the boy was not harmed but he was threatened with having his throat cut if the employee did not give O’Sullivan the contents of the till.

Earlier this week, O’Sullivan got six years with the last 18 months suspended for three robberies. The five years imposed yesterday will run concurrently with the four and a half years.

Detective Garda Donal O’Connell, describing the earlier offences, said that in the robbery at O’Donovan’s filling station, Leemount, Carrigrohane, O’Sullivan carried a knife and shouted at the woman working there, “Open the fucking till or I will cut your throat.” He got away with €1,100.

Sgt O’Sullivan described two similar robberies carried out by the same raider.

On December 21, 2013, he turned up at Topaz on New Mallow Road, Cork, in a home-made balaclava and carrying a Stanley blade which he waved over his head. When a member of staff threw three €50 notes over the counter, he fled.

He was one of a duo who robbed €478 from the Topaz garage on Leitrim St, Cork, on May 29, 2014. Again he had a knife and shouted at staff and customers to stay back while his accomplice robbed cash and lottery tickets.

Paula McCarthy, defending, said O’Sullivan had a chronic heroin addiction, for which he needed rehabilitation. She said he co-operated fully with gardaí and was attending drug treatment in prison.

In terms of O’Sullivan’s co-operation, Ms McCarthy suggested that proving some of the cases would have been difficult without the co-operation of the accused and the admissions he had made. She said that while the threats of violence were made, he would not have hurt anyone and was simply desperate to get money for heroin.

The judge said that was of little consolation to the citizens of Cork.

Judge Ó Donnabháin said, “These are very serious offences. This man seems to specialise in frightening unfortunate people working in petrol stations with knives.

“He has never had it within himself even to look for treatment. He now expresses some level of insight and remorse.”