MICHAEL McMAHON

ON the night of February 25 2012, pensioner Michael McMahon had just been robbed and terrorised at his remote west Clare home, for the second time in a matter of days. In a state of fear, he decided, for his own safety, to cycle through the darkness to check himself into a nursing home some 48km away. The robbers had taken a substantial sum of money from him – as they had also done just days earlier – and were threatening to come back a third time. His ordeal began at around 10pm on February 21, 2012. He was alone at home when he heard banging outside and saw three torches in the darkness. The gang smashed through three of his windows. In a state of ‘absolute fear’, he handed them three jars containing roughly €4,000 in cash.

Afterwards, Mr McMahon said he felt weak and fearful, but at the time made no complaint to gardaí. The following day, he went to the AIB in Kilrush to withdraw €3,000 from his bank account as he had no cash left in the house. He also blocked up the broken windows with blocks and turf. But a few days later on February 25, the robbers were back.

Removing blocks from one of his broken windows, they pushed through the rung of a gate, creating an implement resembling a gun. Again he was robbed, and in his terror, he set off on the eight-hour cycle to St Joseph’s home in Ennis.

In March 2014, Noel Garry, then 20, of Tullycrine, Kilrush, Co. Clare, was jailed for five years for the crime.

However, Joseph Lernihan, then 21, of Finnanon Park, Mullagh, and Shane Donnellan, then 20, of Clohanbeg, Cree, both got suspended sentences.