A bank robber who was armed with an imitation pistol when he and two others terrorised staff at a Galway city bank last year was given two concurrent five-year sentences at Galway Circuit Court yesterday.
John Tompkins (29), of Srue Road, Cullinamuck, Moycullen, admitted to owning the pistol to being involved in the robbery. The robbery occurred at Ulster Bank, Headford Road, Galway, at on August 13th last year. £2,600 was stolen.
Det Bernard McNulty explained that the weapon was a replica of an automatic pistol, but a bolt had been put into its barrel so that ammunition could not be discharged.
Judge Kenny said it was a serious offence and he imposed a five-year sentence on the robbery charge. He then imposed a further five years, to run concurrent with the first, for possession of a firearm, and a one-year sentence for stealing the car. He suspended two years of the five-year sentence.