OAP’s knife attacker caught on Crimecall

A MAN who threatened a 78-year-old woman with a large butcher’s knife during an attempted robbery was identified from footage on the RTÉ Crimecall programme.

Sady Frahill was minding her nephew’s shop in Limerick when Dale McNamara threathened her with the knife and told her to ‘open the f ***** g till’.

When Ms Frahill shouted for help, McNamara ‘ran at speed’ from the shop, empty handed. CCTV footage from the shop’s security cameras was later broadcast on Crimecall.

McNamara’s neighbours told him they’d seen him on Crimecall carrying out the robbery and someone contacted gardaí.

Following his arrest, McNamara, 28, with an address at Cosgrave Park, Moyross, told gardaí that he was so strung out on drugs, he could not remember trying to rob the shop at Gerard Street, Limerick city.

Mr McNamara pleaded guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to one count of attempted robbery on 19 April, 2017.

Defence barrister Jack Nicholas, BL, said McNamara’s admissions were very helpful to gardaí. Detective Garda Fergal Hanrahan gave evidence, under cross examination, that the CCTV footage of the incident was of ‘excellent’ quality.

Judge Tom O’Donnell remarked: ‘Is this the same CCTV footage which led to half the neighbourhood identifying [McNamara]?’

Sentencing was adjourned to June 1.