A man who said he robbed a branch of EBS to cover his girlfriend's funeral expenses has been given a five-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Patrick Kinch (38), Cherry Orchard Avenue, Ballyfermot, Dublin, pleaded guilty to the robbery of €9,250 from the EBS, St Agnes's Road, Crumlin, and to producing a knife during the robbery on June 17th, 2006.
Kinch told gardaí he gave the money to his late girlfriend's mother to cover her funeral expenses.
Judge Katherine Delahunt noted that Kinch, who has 26 previous convictions, had spent "a significant amount of his adult life in prison" but said that he had "traumatised" his victims in this case. She imposed sentences totalling five years in prison but suspended the last year on strict conditions.
Garda Colm Brady told Fiona Murphy, prosecuting, that Kinch entered the EBS at 9.50am with an accomplice and shouted "this is a f****** raid".
He banged on the glass partition at the counter and demanded money. Four customers were warned to keep back and they would not be harmed.
Kinch pressed a knife up against the glass and told the cashier "hurry the f*** up, we haven't got all day". He ordered her to give him money from all the hatches and as she passed it out, he stashed it in a bag held by his accomplice.
Customers and staff at the store were able to give gardaí detailed descriptions of the men. When interviewed Kinch admitted the offence and told gardaí he had carried out the raid to buy a headstone for his recently deceased girlfriend.
Kinch said he had split the money "50/50" with his accomplice and had given his half to his girlfriend's mother, who did not know where it came from, to cover funeral expenses.
Luigi Rea, defending, asked that his client's "sad social and domestic circumstances" be taken into account.