Robber jailed for snatching €200 from pensioner at ATM

Victim says he no longer feels safe coming in to the city

A man who snatched €200 from a pensioner after he withdrew it from an ATM in Cork City and ran away with it has been jailed.

The victim said the last thing he expected on reaching the age of 65 was that he would be looking over his shoulder and nervous about coming into town. He said that he has changed his shopping habits and is reluctant to come into the city as a result of the crime.

Judge Olann Kelleher imposed a sentence of 19 months on Mark Duggan, 37, of 65 Ballinderry Park, Mayfield, Cork, who admitted the theft.

Duggan appeared at Cork District Court by video link from prison and pleaded guilty to carrying out this theft and other crimes.

Sergeant Gearóid Davis said that last month on September 15, the 65-year-old man was making a withdrawal from his account at the ATM of the Ulster Bank on St Patrick Street.

“He had just removed €200 when a male approached from over his shoulder and snatched the money from his hand.

“When CCTV was examined, Mr Duggan was identified,” Sgt. Davis said.

A short time later at Boots pharmacy on St Patrick Street, the accused stole a pair of sunglasses.

In an earlier shoplifting incident at JD Sports on the same street, Duggan went in and removed nine Manchester United jerseys valued at €720. On that occasion, he was followed by a security man. Duggan dropped the bag and left the scene. The stolen property was recovered.

In one further shoplifting incident on August 1 — again at the same Boots outlet — the same defendant stole €84 worth of property.

Sgt Davis said the defendant had 248 previous convictions, including 109 for theft and numerous other theft-related offences.

Defence solicitor, Diane Hallahan, said the defendant wanted to apologise in particular to the man whose cash was stolen at the ATM and she said that it was not a crime that was planned in any way prior to it occurring. Similarly, she said, the shoplifting offences were unplanned.

“I would ask you to take this into consideration and the fact that he suffers addiction problems,” she said.

Judge Olann Kelleher said: “This was a 65-year-old man taking his money from the Ulster Bank when he was grabbed from behind and his money was taken. He got a huge shock and said he badly needed this money. 

"He does not feel safe anymore. He doesn’t go into town as much. It has changed how he feels going into town." 

It is not how he expected to feel at 65. 

The judge imposed nine months on the accused for the shoplifting and a consecutive sentence of 10 months for what he described as the most serious offence — the theft of cash from the man at the ATM.