Armed raider faces prison for city knifepoint robbery

A man who robbed a Subway outlet at knifepoint after taking a cocktail of whiskey and sleeping tablets, has been remanded in custody to January for sentence.

Joseph Crawford (29), of 47 Corrach Buí, Rahoon, who now lives in Garryowen, Limerick, pleaded guilty to the robbery of €240 from staff at Subway on Siobhan McKenna Road on February 19 last, when he appeared before Galway Circuit Criminal Court last week for sentence.

Crawford first appeared before the court in early November and asked to be remanded in custody at the time while waiting to be sentenced.

Garda Pat Fahy told the sentence hearing that Crawford went into the shop at 6.15p.m. and ordered a sandwich.  The girl behind the counter made the sandwich and when she went to the cash register, Crawford grabbed her by the arm, pulled out a bread knife and demanded cash from the till.

The girl screamed and a male member of staff arrived at the counter and emptied the contents of the till into a Subway bag and gave it to Crawford.

He told them not to call the Gardai or he would come back and get them again.

Garda later viewed CCTV footage and immediately recognised Crawford.

He was arrested and admitted his involvement.  His home in Rahoon was searched but the money was never recovered.

Victim impact statements from both staff members were read to the court, which outlined the effect the ordeal continues to have on them.

Garda Fahy said Crawford had 70 previous convictions, including two for robberies and nine for burglaries.

Defence barrister, Conal McCarthy said his client was deeply sorry to the staff for his actions.  He said Crawford told him he didn’t remember anything as he had drank whiskey and taken sleeping in Eyre Square earlier that afternoon.

“It’s a pity he didn’t go to sleep then,” Judge Rory McCabe observed.

The judge said conflicting medical reports had been handed into him.

Two reports, from Crawford’s GP, stated the accused had a mental illness and that a custodial sentence would have a detrimental effect on his health while another report from a psychiatrist at Clover Hill Prison stated he did not have a mental illness any longer.

“I am being asked to accept the medical opinion of someone who is not qualified to give it,” Judge McCabe said of the letters from the GP.

“I cannot send him to jail for these serious offences because the medical picture is incomplete.

“Anybody who goes into a shop with a knife is bound to go to jail for a long time, especially if they have a track record, but I need an up- to-date psychiatric report before I can proceed to sentence,” the judge said.

Judge McCabe remanded Crawford in custody and directed he be medically and psychiatrically assessed prior to sentence on January 13 next.