Women praised for fending off pharmacy robber

Three women armed with a baseball bat and a steak knife managed to fend off a drug addict robbing their pharmacy using a screwdriver, a court has heard.

Karl Fleming (aged 40) of Limetree Avenue, Portmarnock, Dublin pleaded guilty to the attempted robbery of Tracys Pharmacy, Eden Quay on February 2, 2011.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard how one of the victims grabbed a wooden bat while another used a steak knife to scare him.

One of the women then followed him around town until she saw a garda patrol car and asked gardai to arrest him.

Garda John Quirke told Ms Melanie Greally BL, prosecuting, that Fleming hopped over the shop counter and started waving a screwdriver around and demanding tablets.

Gda Quirke said that pharmacist Matilda Allen had a wooden bat at her disposal and she tried to fend Fleming off. She dropped the bat in fear when Fleming lunged at her with the screwdriver.

Ms Allen and her co-worker Peggy Allen then went into a back room, leaving a third co-worker, technician Noreen Bassett, with Fleming.

The court heard that Ms Bassett had been making her lunch and had a steak knife in her hand when she stood up to Fleming. Fleming lunged towards her but panicked at the sight of the knife and left empty handed.

Matilda Allen then followed Flemming, keeping him in sight at all times and watching as he turned his jacket inside out.

Ms Greally said that through her “intrepid efforts” Fleming was arrested on nearby Abbey Street after Ms Allen spotted an unmarked garda car and alerted the gardaí.

Gda Quirke said Ms Allen showed “considerable fortitude” and she told gardaí that she hadn’t suffered “any ill effects” from the attempted robbery.

Mr Colm O’Briain BL, defending, said his client came from a good family but has a long-standing drug addiction.

Judge Martin Nolan described the incident as a “frightening event” but commended the three victims for showing a “great degree of fortitude and hardiness”.

Fleming, who has 39 previous convictions, was serving a four month suspended sentence for theft and was remanded to appear before Cloverhill District Court next Wednesday, November 30 ,to reactivate this sentence.

Judge Nolan ordered that he appear back before him after that is dealt with and indicated that he will sentence him to 14 months for the attempted robbery.