[ad_1]
Two men have appeared in court in connection with a series of robberies on the same day, including an incident in which an 83-year-old woman saved him € 2,700 for thieves posing as Gardaí.
Anthony Horgan and Christopher Jones, both homeless, appeared this afternoon before a special session of the Cork District Court.
Judge John King heard that drug addict Jones (27) had spent € 1,200 on crack cocaine in the 12 hours prior to his arrest by Gardaí investigating robberies in Cork City. He suffers from heroin and addiction to crack cocaine.
Neither man responded when the charges were placed under caution.
Horgan (44) was charged with nine offenses, including his alleged involvement in six robberies. He also faces a charge of handling stolen property, possession of a knife, and a threat to cause criminal harm while being questioned at Togher Garda Station in Cork City.
Christopher Jones, who had been receiving support for his addiction up to the Covid-19 restrictions, was charged with allegedly being involved in six robberies and one count of managing stolen property. The stolen property in both cases involved ATM cards that the men allegedly used at a convenience store in Cork City.
In objecting to the bond of both men, Det. Garda Padraig Harrington said the charges were of a very serious nature.
He alleges that the men were involved in a “crime wave” that started with a robbery on April 9.
Several burglaries occurred on April 17 at occupied houses in, among other places, High Street, Frankfield Villas and Tyrone Place in Cork City.
In one house, an 83-year-old woman was sleeping in her ground floor room when she woke up to two men who claimed to be members of An Garda Siochana.
They said they were investigating a robbery and asked where their safe place for their cash was.
When he directed them to the area, they fled the scene with € 2,700 in cash and £ 80 sterling. It is understood that five robberies were carried out on April 17 in the city of Cork with Gardaí alleging that Horgan and Jones were the culprits.
Det. Garda Harrington said that during interrogation at Togher Garda Station, Horgan picked up a metal container and threatened to throw it out the window.
He said there was “compelling evidence” against both men. This includes CCTV images that were collected from the relevant areas.
Eddie Burke, a lawyer, representing Mr. Jones, said he was “disappointed” to see his client in court because he had done well.
He claimed that his client’s support system had been closed due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Your client requires methadone and pills to sleep in prison. He asked that his medical needs be taken care of while he was in custody.
Horgan took the stand in an attempt to secure bail for the cause.
He said Gardaí had shown him a CCTV of a “big man and a little man”, but he did not know who they were. He said he hoped to receive bail to care for his mother.
Given the seriousness of the charges and the potential for both men to commit crimes while on bail, Judge King jailed Horgan and Jones. They will appear via video link in Cork District Court next Wednesday.
[ad_2]