Cork man accused of threatening Dunnes Stores staff member 'wants to harm shop assistants'

Accused remanded in custody over knife incident at Cork city centre store

Donal Burleigh was remanded in continuing custody until July 17 by Judge David Waters.

A district court judge has decided the case against a man accused of producing a large kitchen knife to a Dunnes Stores staff member during a robbery is too serious to be dealt with at district court level.

Judge David Waters refused jurisdiction so the matter will have to be dealt with at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Donal Burleigh was remanded in continuing custody until July 17 by Judge Waters on the application of Sergeant Gearóid Davis.

The judge was told that the accused was refused bail at the district court previously and has a bail appeal listed before the High Court in Dublin on Thursday, July 9.

Garda Thomas Enright gave evidence in the objection to bail being granted to the accused, and said when arrested and interviewed the man told gardaí of other crimes he planned to carry out on the day of this attempted robbery in Merchants Quay.

“He made full admissions to threatening the member of staff and he told me it is in his head a long time — that he wants to harm shop assistants and that after he left, he was going to get on the 202 bus and go to Mahon Point to rob Curry’s and Tesco.

“He was caught red-handed. CCTV shows him committing the act. And he said he fully intends to commit robberies and cause harm to people working in shops.

“The gardaí have a strong belief that if given bail, there is a serious danger to members of the public, in particular shop workers,” Garda Enright said.

The alleged incident occurred at Dunnes in Merchants Quay occurred on Tuesday, May 5, and Donal Burleigh was arrested on that day.

Burleigh, aged 39, with an address at Coppinger’s Acre, Bantry Park Rd, Fair Hill, will have to appear in court in person on July 17 if he is granted bail in the High Court.