Man avoids jail after staging robbery against employers

A Louth man accused of staging a robbery on his employers has been given a three-year suspended sentence.

Thomas McDermott (aged 27), of Rockmarshall, Jenkinstown, Dundalk pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the theft of €58,092 cash and €1,605 worth of cheques from his employer Woodie’s DIY.

The court heard McDermott staged the raid on the Malahide Road branch in Coolock, Dublin on June 17, 2009 with another man he met in a nearby pub while out smoking. His co-accused has not been arraigned yet in relation to the incident.

Ms Anne Rowland BL, defending, submitted that her client staged the robbery because he was being blackmailed by a lady he had met in Thailand and who had videotaped them having sex.

Ms Rowland submitted to Judge Patrick McCartan that McDermott was to send this woman a minimum of €500 a month which the woman claimed she was giving to her family.

Garda Shay McGrath told prosecuting counsel, Ms Gerardine Small BL, that he was on duty when he was informed of a robbery at the Coolock store. He said he went to the scene and met McDermott, who told him the incident had happened while he was locking up.

He said McDermott told him a man charged into him and knocked him to the ground, a knife was held to his throat and he then turned off the alarm. Gda McGrath said McDermott told him he got the keys to the safe and he and the culprit went into the cash office, where a bag was put over his head.

He told gardaí he was hit twice and was knocked out after he took money out of the safe. He described the culprit as being of 5’ 9” in height.

But after examining CCTV Gda McGrath said McDermott’s account had discrepancies and he was the last member of staff to leave the premises.

He said it also came to garda attention that McDermott didn’t set the alarm, the premises was not locked and the video footage showed the co-accused carrying a hold-all bag with the suspect calmly entering through a side-door.

Gda McGrath said McDermott was arrested on June 24, 2009 and was interviewed on a number of occasions. He said McDermott denied his involvement at first but then made admissions.

A warrant was obtained to search his house and McDermott said there would be money in the attic from the robbery. He told gardaí: “There should be €27,000 from the Woodie’s DIY theft.”

He then admitted he was tied up but that it was staged and his accomplice had the remainder of the money.

Gda McGrath said the €27,000 was recovered but the remainder was outstanding. He also told the court that McDermott had no previous convictions.

Ms Rowland urged the judge not to impose a custodial sentence. She told the court that McDermott was being blackmailed by a woman he met in Thailand from the Philippines who videotaped them while they were having sex.

Judge McCartan said while McDermott “was clever and devious to set up the robbery”, he didn’t succeed and “it looked unlikely he would evade detection”.

Jugde McCartan said he was somewhat relieved to hear he assisted gardaí in finding out who the co-accused was. He said one of the strongest mitigating factors besides a plea of guilty is that the employers be reimbursed. He said this has not happened but he noted McDermott and his father were unemployed.

Judge McCartan sentenced him to three years in prison with the entirety suspended.

“You’ve got your chance now take it,” said the judge.