Man threatened to Taser woman and take her children

A Tipperary man who threatened to Taser a woman and take away her children during a terrifying car-jacking in south Dublin has been sentenced to five years in prison.

During the 30-minute ordeal in May of last year - 41-year-old Francis Gavigan sought to reassure the two children in the car and showed them a memorial card of his late mother.

He said he was a bad apple and hated doing what he was doing but that he was desperate and could not rob banks any more.

He forced the woman to drive to her home and then got one of the children to get her wallet from the house - she then drove to the nearest ATM and withdrew €600.

Gardaí later used the memorial card to help identify Gavigan, with an address at Cahir Park Cottages, Ardfinnan Road in Cahir.

He pleaded guilty to the robbery and false imprisonment on May 16, 2014 in the Dublin 6 area.