Robber threatened to kill pregnant woman

A robber who cut a sale assistant's hand when she tried to stop him grabbing money from the till and threatened her pregnant manager with a knife has been sentenced to six years in prison at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Jason Kelly (aged 27), a father of two, hailed a nearby taxi after running from the shop and insisted that the man "drive, drive". The taxi driver got out of the car and refused to move off after he noticed that gardaí had already arrived on the scene.

Kelly of Clanhugh Road, Donnycarney pleaded guilty to robbery of €1,420 from the Dublin shop on September 14, 2008. He had eight previous convictions.

He also pleaded guilty to two charges of possession of heroin, collectively valued at €3,400, for sale or supply at his home, on March 21, 2007 and is awaiting sentence at Kilkenny Circuit Criminal Court after he admitted to having heroin worth €3,500 for sale or supply on September 5, 2007.

Judge Desmond Hogan sentenced Kelly to two years in prison in relation to the drug offence and a consecutive four year jail term for the robbery. He suspended the final year of the sentence on strict conditions.

Judge Hogan said there was "a certain degree of premeditation" in relation to the robbery as Kelly had brought the knife with him to the shop. He noted that the sales assistant had received a superficial cut to her hand and that Kelly had produced a knife to a pregnant woman.

He said he was satisfied that if Kelly "came to grips" with his drug addiction he may be able to "stay away from crime".

Garda David Griffin told Mr Paul Carroll BL, prosecuting, that the manager and security guard of the shop had tried to stop Kelly leaving after he grabbed the cash from the till. He threatened both of them and said he was going to stab them if they did not let him go.

Kelly ran from the shop and they both followed him out where they saw him hail a nearby taxi.

Gda Griffin said that Kelly made admission and told gardaí that he was "sorry" he had robbed the shop.

Gda Griffin agreed with Mr Luigi Rea BL, defending, that he had apologised to the shop assistant for hurting her.

He accepted that he had committed the offence to pay off a drug debt and that his previous convictions related to his addiction.

Mr Rea told Judge Hogan that Kelly's family were in court to support him and said that his client instructed him that he had started to come to terms with his drug addiction.