Heroin addict robbed Limerick nuns as they walked to Mass

A heroin addict who robbed two elderly nuns as they walked to Mass in Limerick, stealing a bag containing items including a bottle of holy water, has been jailed for two years.

Joseph Roche (30) of no fixed abode, subjected the two nuns to a "frightening and traumatic" ordeal when he grabbed Sr Paula Clarke's handbag on O'Connell Street in Limerick city on January 3rd, Limerick Circuit Court heard. Roche pleaded guilty to robbery.

Before jailing the separated father of four, Judge Tom O’Donnell said it was an opportunistic and insidious crime.

“This was effectively daylight robbery, an insidious and opportunistic crime where the victim was an easy target; a lady in her senior years, ” said Judge O’Donnell.

The robbery took place as Sr Paula (76) and Sr Bernadette O’Driscoll (79) were walking to 10am Mass in the Augustinian Church.

Sr Paula, who was carrying a black shoulder length handbag, suddenly felt a tug from behind that pulled her backwards, nearly causing her to lose her balance, the court heard.

She cried for help as Roche ran off with her handbag, the court heard.

The nuns continued to the church where they called gardaí and gave a description of the thief.

Roche was discovered by gardaí an hour and a half later holding Sr Paula’s mobile phone in an alleyway off Davis Street, a short distance away .

When discovered, he said: “You have me I’m caught, there’s no point in running.”

He told gardaí he had discarded the handbag which contained €40 in cash along with a number of personal effects, including a bus pass, keys and a holy water bottle.

The handbag was handed into Colbert Train station some days later with all the belongings still inside, except for the cash, which Roche admitted he had used to buy drugs.

In his evidence, Garda Denis Counihan described Sr Paula as a “formidable and robust lady” who suffered an injury to her finger but did not require hospital attention.

The court heard Roche was a recovering heroin addict whose recent relapse had caused the break up of his marriage and his alienation from his four children.

A probation report concluded that given the level of his addiction, he would would require long term residential care.

He had a number of previous convictions including one for robbery which Judge O’Donnell described as an aggravating factor in the case.

Judge O’Donnell sentenced Roche to three years in prison but suspended the final 12 months of the sentence provided he remains of good behaviour for a period of four years.

The judge also ordered that Roche remain under the care of the probation services for two years on his release from prison.