Man given suspended sentence for part in robbery

A 25-year-old Cork hairdresser who was left to "carry the can" following an armed robbery on the EBS office in Douglas, Cork, …

A 25-year-old Cork hairdresser who was left to "carry the can" following an armed robbery on the EBS office in Douglas, Cork, was given a two-year suspended sentence by Judge Carroll Moran in the Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.

Gerard Cronin, of Watercourse Road, admitted his part in the robbery in a statement made to gardai.

Det Sgt Tim O'Sullivan told how a gun and hammer were found in the defendant's flat.

The judge said three men had taken part in the robbery. One of the two accused had been acquitted at his trial, and the other man was still at large. He told Cronin: "You had the most minimal role in this offence but have been left to carry the can".

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In his statement, Cronin said he met a Dubliner called "Decco" and his girlfriend in a pub in July of last year and put them up for the night in his flat. They had a car which they told him was stolen. He stayed at his sister's and the next morning he called to his flat and the couple were still there.

"Decco told me he was going to the station to collect a friend. He arrived back in my flat with another fellow," said Cronin.

He told how he and the two men drove to a field on the Carrigaline Road and Decco got out of the car and jumped over a ditch. He came back with a plastic bag in his hand and handed it to the other man. He said that both men were "hyper". They drove to Douglas, and Cronin was told to keep a look out. After a few minutes he got out of the car and walked to the main road.

"The lads were running in my direction. The taller of the two had a balaclava, handbags and socks in his hand. He was wearing the socks over his hands at the time. Decco had a balaclava and a gun. I knew that they had done a robbery," he said.

The car used in the robbery was abandoned at Watercourse Road and the three returned to Cronin's flat. Cronin said the two men divided the money, £2,865, between them and the gun was wrapped in curtain material and put into a bag.

Cronin in his statement said: "The two men then sat down and began to inject heroin". He asked them to leave the flat and later that afternoon they did.

Judge Moran said it was a horrendous crime in which a gun had been used. However, he took into account that Cronin had co-operated with the Garda and had no previous convictions.

He sentenced him to two years' prison, suspended for two years, on condition that he enter a £50 bond.