Two sisters who faked a series of robberies of over €13,000 from Chartbusters video shops have each been sentenced to 240 hours community service in lieu of two years' jail.
Sandra and Caitríona Coburn, Woodfarm Acres, Palmerstown, told gardaí they had been under duress from "a third party", who held a gun to Caitríona's child and threatened to kill the baby if they did not arrange to have money taken from the shop.
Det Garda Edward McBride told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that Caitríona Coburn admitted it was her then boyfriend who threatened them into organising the fake robberies.
Garda McBride agreed with defence counsel Iseult O'Malley and Úna Ní Raifeartaigh that it was "absolutely possible" this person had put them under duress. He was known to gardaí, had previous convictions, was addicted to drugs and currently outside the jurisdiction.
Garda McBride said one of the fake robberies was recorded secretly by a shop manager who had become suspicious. Neither sister had previous convictions and were said to be from a good, hard-working family.
Sandra Coburn (21) pleaded guilty to robbery from Chartbusters, Kennefort Road Lower, Palmerstown, in May 2003 and to making false statements about someone else committing theft.
Caitríona Coburn (26) pleaded guilty to handling stolen property at the same shop and to involvement in a fake robbery at Chartbusters in Smithfield.
Judge Desmond Hogan imposed a two-year suspended sentence on each woman on condition they entered into a good behaviour bond and did 240 hours of work in the community.
Garda McBride told Karen O'Connor, prosecuting, that when Sandra Coburn worked at Chartbusters she called Ballyfermot Garda station to report a robbery, claiming that a man had threatened her, stabbed her with a syringe once and robbed €3,000. She said the "robber" also took the shop's security videos. She reported two other robberies.
Garda McBride said he asked Sandra to come to the station. Without knowing about the video footage she said she wanted to tell the truth about the robberies.
She said that in the first alleged robbery a man called "Joe" came into the shop and collected the money. There had been no syringe and no stabbing. The second robbery was conducted the same way. Caitríona came to the shop on the third occasion to collect the money.