Thiefbondswithhis Chinesevictim

June 2008

A BRAY man told a court that he ‘ bonded’ with a Chinese woman after holding her up at knifepoint in her Dublin home after a drugs binge.

John Cash (31) of Hazelwood, hugged the woman after drinking tea with her for two hours.

He disturbed her in bed and threatened her with a knife, the court heard. John Cash (aged 31) of Hazlewood, Bray told gardaí he established ‘a bond’ with the woman (Ling) he held captive while he attempted to rob her apartment at St Catherine’s Close, Dublin 8 of cash on February 15, 2006.

Detective Garda Aidan Carroll said the woman was initially terrified when Cash entered her bedroom that morning with two knives demanding her for money, but later noticed his hands were shaking and that he seemed to be in pain.

He told prosecuting counsel, Ms Kathleen Noctor BL, that her husband left the front door open when he went to work around 7 a.m. and Cash, who had been shooting up with a drugs cocktail at the apartment block, came in looking for money for more drugs.

She explained to him that her wallet had been stolen the day before but told him to take her bag where he found €10 and loose coins and some RNB in various denominations.

She noticed as he held one of the knives to her that his hands were shaking and he seemed angry.

Detective Garda Carroll said Ling began to cry when Cash received a phone call and announced: ‘David, I’ve got a nice girl here.’

He said Cash assured her he wouldn’t harm her.

He said Cash pocketed a silver ring with fake diamonds and ordered Ling to put clothes on because he wanted to search the other bedroom for money.

He said Cash found a gold necklace and ring with fake diamonds in the other bedroom and continued on into the sitting room where he told the woman to make tea.

She noticed, as they were going into the sitting room, that Cash had difficulty picking up one of the knives he dropped on the floor.

Cash showed her a photo of his family and spoke to her about his background as they sat drinking tea.

Cash shaved and washed in the bathroom and then changed into her husband’s clothes, leaving his own on the floor.

Cash hugged the woman when he left the apartment two hours later and claimed to gardai in his subsequent arrest that he felt a bond with her.

Detective Garda Carroll said the father of two told gardai he was desperate for more drugs and didn’t think there was anyone in the apartment when he entered, otherwise he would have ‘ legged it’.

He said he couldn’t find any valuables in the apartment and wasn’t able to take the computer and video the woman offered him once he bonded with her.

‘As I got to know her, I couldn’t take them off her.’

He said he kept her captive and cut the phone line because he didn’t want her raising the alarm before he got down to the foreign exchange to convert the RMB into Euro.

Cash was sentenced to six years with the final 18 months suspended.