Two Cork men charged in connection with 'violent robbery' of service station

It is alleged that one of the accused plunged into a river to try to escape a pursuing garda

The case involves the alleged robbery of €915 at Texaco on Model Farm Road, Cork, last year. File photo: Brian Lawless/PA

Books of evidence are to be served in a case which was put back to July 30 against two men accused of taking part in a violent robbery at a Texaco service station.

41-year-old Shane O’Donoghue of Leesdale, Model Farm Road, Cork, is charged with carrying out the robbery of €915 at Texaco on Model Farm Road, Cork, on Wednesday, November 5, 2025.

44-year-old Mark Sheehan of Hazel Road, Togher, Cork, faces the same charge of robbery.

Detective Garda David Hickey outlined the background to the prosecution case and alleged that Shane O’Donoghue was pursued by gardaí from the scene of a robbery and began to discard some of his clothing and some cash and then plunged into a river to escape.

Det. Garda Hickey said at Cork District Court that a member of An Garda Siochána jumped into the river after Mr O’Donoghue and brought him back to the riverbank where he was arrested and later charged.

Det. Garda Hickey said a member of staff at the Texaco service station was caught in a chokehold headlock by one raider as a second culprit ripped the till from the counter.

The allegation was that at around 8.30pm on Wednesday, November 5, two men entered Texaco Service Station, Model Farm Road, Cork, went behind the shop counter and demanded that staff to open the tills. 

One of them grabbed a staff member in a chokehold headlock. The other male ripped the till out and put it into a bag. Both of them then left the store on foot.

Judge David Waters was told that the cases had been struck out because of a delay in getting directions from the DPP. Now they have been re-charged and the directions are for trial by indictment.

Bail conditions in respect of both men require them to stay away from the Texaco outlet, sign twice a week at Togher garda station and provide a contact number at which each of them can be contacted by gardaí.

Each man is charged with robbery. In addition, Shane O’Donoghue is charged with causing criminal damage to a cash register. Mark Sheehan is additionally charged with assault causing harm to a member of staff.