Community service for arcade robbery

TWO MEN WERE INVOLVED IN INCIDENT AND CAR CHASE BY GARDAI

TWO men who admitted robbing an amusement arcade in Blackrock have been given community service instead of jail terms.

The pair pleaded guilty at an earlier sitting of Dundalk District Court to robbery at the Blackrock Leisure Centre on July 31, with one admitting a number of dangerous driving charges that arose from the chase with Gardai after the incident.

John Marshall (22), whose address was given as 37 Maple Close and Michael Ward (23) with an address at Glen Gat B&B, Stapleton Place, Dundalk, were before the court.

Marshall was given 120 hours community service instead of three months, while Ward was given 180 hours instead of ten months in prison, as well as a five year driving ban.

Judge William Hamill heard how the pair walked into the arcade at around noon and waited until a female member of staff walked away from the office area. Marshall went into the office and took more than €1000 in cash and the cash box, while Ward waited at the door. The woman saw what was happening and went to stop them, but Ward shoulder charged her twice to get her out of the way while he and Marshall ran to a car parked outside.

The victim suffered bruising but has recovered physically from the incident.

Sergeant Vincent O’Connell was leaving the nearby Garda station and had noticed the car the two men were in pull up outside the amusements. Moments later, he saw them speed off and went after them in a patrol car.

At Seafield Road, the car, driven by Ward, failed to stop and cars had to swerve to get out of his way. He drove like this at Haggardstown and went through a red light at Xerox while on the wrong side of the road.

Sgt. O’Connell pulled back at that stage, but kept following them at a distance before the men’s car crashed at a traffic island at the Inner Relief Road, hitting two cars, but causing no injuries.

Ward and Marshall got out of the car and went running, but were caught by Gardai moments later. The €1,000 was found on Marshall and the red cash box from the arcade was in the footwell of the car.

Ward had no insurance or driving licence either. He has a previous conviction from 2014, while Marshall has none.

The men’s barrister, Irene Sands, said the money from the robbery was recovered and no weapons were used during the incident.

She said Marshall is a 22-year-old married man whose wife is pregnant. He left school after his Junior Cert and did paving courses.

At the time of the robbery, he had ‘no money’ and this was ‘seen as an easy solution to his problems’.

Ms Sands said both Ward and Marshall are former residents of Woodland Park, from where, the judge was told, mass evictions had taken place in January.