Thief pointed blade at belly of pregnant shop owner

A PREGNANT woman bravely fought off a robber who pointed a blade at her stomach during a frightening botched raid of her flower shop, a court has heard.

Andrew Cash, 26, entered the woman’s shop at around 6.30pm on the day in question and appeared to be surveying the place.

When approached by the pregnant shop owner and asked to leave, Cash produced a Stanley blade and pointed it at the woman’s stomach.

The woman noticed Cash appeared to be ‘out of it’ on drugs and she grabbed his arm, moving the blade away from her stomach. She then pushed him out of the nearby door, levelling a kick at him as he exited.

The blade fell to the floor during the altercation and was shown in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court by Detective Garda Conor O’Byrne.

In the aftermath, gardaí immediately recognised Cash from CCTV footage taken in the shop. A few months later, he was arrested in Cloverhill prison where he was serving a sentence for another offence.

He has 50 previous convictions, including criminal damage, burglary, attempted robbery, possession of a knife, theft and assault.

Cash told gardaí he was ‘stoned’ on the day in question and went into the florist’s on Aungier Street, Dublin, to get some money. He said he could not remember much of the offence but he identified himself in the CCTV footage.

Cash, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted robbery of a florist shop on Aungier Street on November 26, 2015.

The court heard that Cash has recently reunited with the mother of his seven-year-old child and has been told he is welcome to live with them in Cavan upon his release.

Judge Karen O’Connor noted ‘one can only imagine the fear’ the pregnant woman felt during the ordeal. She adjourned the matter to get a probation report and remanded Cash in continuing custody until sentencing on December 21.