Four years for axe-wielding man who robbed Tralee garage

AN axe wielding man who emerged from a graveyard clad in a dark clothing to rob a nearby petrol station in Tralee has been given a four year sentence.

Staff at Kelliher’s Garage Rathass, Tralee were left traumatised, on the evening of January 27, 2016 when Emmet Coffey came in and smashed their cash register, demanding money, the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee was told.

He was wielding “a long-handled axe”, the court heard. He had a scarf over his face and his hood pulled up and was shouting “empty your pockets and the tills”.

Two staff members were extremely shaken but managed to press the panic button and alert gardaí who gave chase and arrested Mr Coffey on the northern side of the graveyard and recovered the €1,102 robbed by him.

Mr Coffey, aged 40 of Bruach na hAbhann, Tralee, pleaded guilty to burglary. He has 25 previous convictions, mostly for theft and drugs.

None of his previous involved violence, and this was a new departure for his client, defence barrister Richard Liston said. He had been on methadone treatment and had been visiting the grave of his brother who died of heart failure just two weeks previously. At the graveyard in Rathass he met up with others who were visiting the grave of a friend who had died by suicide and they began drinking vodka in the graveyard, Tralee’s largest cemetery.

Judge Thomas E O’Donnell, summarising the facts in the case, noted how Emmet Coffey had consumed a considerable amount of drink and tablets with a number of others in the graveyard in Rathass.

Psychiatric and psychological reports handed into court detailed how he had suffered very serious abuse in a residential school and there was a tragic background.

“It is clear the accused faces difficult personal challenges,” the judge said.

He also noted he was the father of three children, had co-operated and was remorseful and pleaded guilty. There was no loss.

However, as a weapon was used, violence was threatened and property damaged, four years was “the appropriate tariff ”, the judge said.

He suspended the last 18 month, during which period Emmet Coffey is to be under the supervision of the Probation Service.

The court was previously told how before entering the shop Mr Coffey had purchased two half bottles of vodka , drank one and then visited his brother’s grave in Rath Cemetery, Rathass opposite the garage.

Mr Coffey drank one of the vodka bottles at the grave, his barrister Richard Liston outlined.

He then encountered men who were taking drugs visiting at the grave of a man who had died by suicide.

“And Mr Coffey took a handful of tablets on top of the vodka. And arising out of that this incident occurred,” Mr Liston told the court.

Although he did break the tills in the shop, nobody was physically injured, Mr Liston pleaded.

He was deeply sorry for what happened and drew “a blank” when asked to recall it fully. He had had a tragic background and was battling a heroin addiction and on methadone treatment at the time; earlier that day he had a dispute with his doctor who doubted a script he presented. and this had proved “a catalyst” also, the barrister said.

In 2006 he had witnessed his brother- in- law Michael Lonergan being murdered. He had also been abused while in a care at St Laurence’s in Finglas.

His young son who had had multiple handicaps had died and a number of Mr Coffey’s siblings had also died.