Knife-wielding Cork robber gets four years

A woman working at a pizza outlet in the early hours of the morning was put in fear when a man wielding a large knife jumped over the counter and robbed €1,500 in cash.

William Clarke, aged 42, of 23 Ascension Heights, Churchfield, Cork, was sentenced to four years imprisonment with the last year suspended for robbing Mizzoni Pizza on Coburg St, Cork, on February 15, 2015.

Detective Sergeant Vincent O’Sullivan said Clarke arrived at the premises with his identity concealed and jumped the counter while carrying the knife.

He threatened the woman working there, telling her to open the cash register. He grabbed the cash and fled on foot.

The culprit was identified from CCTV near the scene at a time when his identity was not concealed.

A few days later, he gave himself up at Mayfield Garda Station, admitted the robbery, and expressed remorse, the detective said.

Det Sgt O’Sullivan said the accused had 17 previous convictions, serious enough to have been dealt with at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Barrister Niamh Stewart said while he had previous robbery convictions, they had been committed to feed his drug addiction.

She said that he had since made efforts to deal with these problems.

Judge Ó Donnabháin said: “He was covered with a balaclava and armed with a knife. Four or five days later when the cash was gone he turned up at a Garda station and admitted it.

“Is that a sign of remorse? If it is, it is not a very impressive one. What am I to do with him? It is not any help to me or himself to come before the court and not having dealt with his addictions.”