Court hears of ‘terrified screams’ of children during burglary

An eight-year-old girl told gardaí she thought her “Daddy was going to die” when he was assaulted by an armed gang during an aggravated burglary in her family’s home, a court heard.

Seven men in their 20s from Dublin who have admitted the offence will be sentenced on Thursday for their part in the incident at the home of Mark and Emma Corcoran and their three young daughters.

The gang entered the family’s house in Burnchurch, a rural area outside Killenaule in Co Tipperary, as trespassers, armed with a shotgun, handgun and machete, early on November 21, 2013.

A hearing at Clonmel Circuit Court was told on Tuesday the Corcorans were in fear of their lives and the lives of their children, aged eight, six and two at the time, during the incident.

The seven men who have pleaded guilty are John Joyce (21) of Lentisk Lawn, The Donaghies, Donaghmede, Dublin; Dean Byrne (22) of Cabra Park, Dublin 7; Patrick Gately (28) of Primrose Grove, Darndale, Dublin 17; Thomas Flynn (21) of Moatview Avenue, Coolock, Dublin 17; Patrick Joyce (23) of Beaumont Hall, Beaumont Woods, Dublin 9; Michael McDonagh (23) of Tara Lawns, Belcamp Lane, Coolock, Dublin 17 and Donal O’Hara (22) from Glin Park, Coolock, Dublin 17.

They travelled in convoy from Dublin to Tipperary, stealing a car in Castlecomer in Co Kilkenny on the way, on the night of November 20th-21st in 2013.

They were apprehended by gardaí at two locations on the motorway system as they tried to make their way back to Dublin.

Det Sgt James White told the court Mr Corcoran, who was sleeping in a back bedroom as he had an early start the next morning and didn’t want to wake the rest of the family, was awoken by a man in a black balaclava, “brandishing a large knife” and another man who had a black handgun.

They threatened him and demanded money.

Mr Corcoran was led into the living area of the house and struck in the face with the butt of a gun. He sustained a fractured eye socket and later had to have four separate surgeries and still has breathing problems as a result. At the time, he realised his eldest daughter was trying to come into the sitting room but his hands were tied behind his back with cable-ties and one of the raiders knelt on his back.

“The eldest two children were awake and in the hallway,” Sgt White said. “They had a clear view of what was going on. They could see what was happening to their father. They could hear the raiders making threats.”

Mr Corcoran “thought he was going to be shot,” the court heard. “He was in fear of his life.”

Ms Corcoran was awoken by the sound of glass breaking and made a 999 call before leaving her phone under the bed with the call still active. “The one thing that is most clear in the 999 recording was the terrified screams of the children,” Sgt White said.

At one point, Ms Corcoran was “forcibly removed” from her bedroom and saw her husband being struck in the face. One of the raiders said to her: “We’ll kill your f..king kids”.

Sgt White said: “Emma Corcoran was without doubt in fear of her life and that of her three children.”

The Corcorans had a gym equipment-supply business at the time, which they since closed, but there was no safe in the house. The raiders took about €1,300 in cash, which represented the previous day’s takings and petty cash, as well as some jewellery .

The raiders took the Corcorans’ family car, a seven-seat Kia Sorrento, as well as their own Volkswagen Passat, to make their escape.

One of the vehicles, containing five of the gang, was apprehended near Monasterevin, and armed gardaí arrested the men at about 4.25am. Some of the stolen property was found in the car.

The other car, the stolen Kia, was stopped just before Newlands Cross and two men inside were arrested.

Mark Corcoran was in court but did not give evidence, while his wife was not present for the hearing. Victim impact statements were read out for all five members of the family, in which Mr Corcoran said he felt an enormous sense of guilt because he couldn’t do anything to protect his wife and children.

“My eldest daughter was standing over me, crying ‘Daddy is dead’. I can only describe it as being like being at my own funeral, without being dead.”

In her statement, Emma Corcoran said the happiness and memories from the house in which she’d grown up had been taken away. “I will never get over seeing my husband being beaten in front of me that night and my kids looking on. My kids wake up every night with nightmares and live in fear of what happened.”

The couple’s eldest daughter said in a victim impact statement: “I thought my Daddy was going to die when the robbers beat him up. There was blood everywhere. I don’t feel safe at home any more. Whenever I hear a bang, I think the robbers are back.”

The youngest daughter, who was two at the time, was awake during the incident and was found in her cot, “rocking herself and her teddy” and “shaking with fear”.

Judge Teehan said he will pass down the sentences on Thursday.