ARMED ROBBER TACKLED
MAN GAVE CHASE TO SHOP ROBBER, TACKLING HIM TO THE GROUND AND HOLDING HIM UNTIL THE GARDAÍ ARRIVED
A customer ran after and apprehended an armed robber who had got away with €900 from a supermarket, Sligo Circuit Court was told.
Brendan Glynn (32) had just held up the Centra supermarket at Cartron with an imitation firearm on October 26 th 2017 when he was followed out by customer, Robert Clarke who managed to overpower him.
Glynn pleaded guilty before Judge Francis Comerford (right) at the Circuit Court last Tuesday to possession of a realistic imitation firearm, having a knife and robbing €900.
Garda Mark Irwin told the court that Glynn entered the supermarket around 1.13pm and went behind the counter and produced a firearm which he pointed at the shop assistant, Martin McGovern. Glynn took cash from the shop’s two tills which he put into a plastic bag before leaving on foot. There were a number of people in the shop at the time including owner, Brian Coyle.
A customer, Robert Clarke gave chase to Glynn who was wrestled to the ground and was disarmed. He was restrained until witness arrived and arrested him. He made no comment during interview subsequently at Ballymote Garda Station.
Glynn, a father of one originally from Westport, pleaded guilty to the offences last May.
Garda Irwin said the defendant, who had a drug addiction, had 45 previous convictions from courts in Sligo, Dublin and Galway mainly for theft and burglary. A short victim impact statement made by Mr McGovern was read to the court by Garda Irwin. Mr McGovern said that for the 24 hours after the robbery he was nervous and anxious but everything had returned to normal. CCTV of the robbery was played to the court.
Glynn also pleaded guilty to the possession of stolen prescription drugs at 1 Cranmore Place on October 24 th 2017.
Detec- tive Inspec- tor Ray Mulderrig outlined how a search was carried out at the house and €732.54 worth of medication was found.
Witness agreed with Mr Pat O’Sullivan BL with Mr Morgan Coleman, solicitor that he imagined the drugs were for the defendant’s own use.
“An act of desperation I could describe it as,” said witness.
Mr O’Sullivan said there was a comprehensive probation report before the court.
“A lot of the defendant’s difficulties began when his widowed mother remarried and he didn’t get on with his step father. That seems the start of the downfall and since 2003 he effectively has been a drug addict and his addiction has been chronic.
“He has attempted to address his issues and there has been periods of sobriety when there has been no offending. He’s a likeable man when he is sober,” said Mr O’Sullivan.
Glynn, who was currently serving a sentence, was described as a model prisoner by Mr O’Sullivan and he was based in the kitchen area while he was also working with the Red Cross in Castlerea Prison.
Mr O’Sullivan said the defendant now accepted that there were side effects to his actions and he was remorseful for the hurt caused to the shop assistant.
Judge Comerford said he accepted the defendant had difficulties in his teenage years which affected his ability to engage in schooling but nonetheless he managed to complete his Leaving Certificate in 2005.
The Judge said Glynn, who had been in custody since October 2017, had been given many chances to steer away from the path he was on.
The situation faced by the shop assistant could only be described as terrifying and as far as he knew the gun was real said Judge Comerford.
“It is still a robbery whether it is an imitation gun or not,” he said. The Judge imposed a three and a half year jail term, suspending the final 18 months.
During the suspension period, to which the Judge added a further period of six months suspended consecutively, the defendant would be under the supervision of the probation service and must obey all directions given to him.
The Judge refused a defence application that the sentence be backdated to when the defendant went into custody in October last year.