*Darren Cassidy.
A judge has imposed cumulative prison terms of thirteen years on two armed robbers who “terrorised” a postmistress during a “callous” robbery of the post office in Carrigaholt in January.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford said that the armed, premeditated, violent robbery of Carrigaholt Post Office on January 21st last carried out by Michael McMahon (39) and Darren Cassidy (39) was callous in its planning and callous in its execution.
Judge Comerford said that the two had carried out the robbery “out of desperation” but in their desperation had terrorised the “remarkably brave and resilient” post-mistress, Maura McKiernan during the robbery.
Judge Comerford said the robbers had chosen the ‘easy target’ of Carrigaholt post office in a rural area of West Clare.
In the mid-afternoon on January 21st last, McMahon and Cassidy entered the post office dressed in white overalls, black hoods and black gloves, each armed with an iron bar and one of the two handed in a SuperValu bag at the counter to be filled with money.
A third man, getaway driver, Darragh Pender (31) was waiting outside the post-office in a black car as the two carried out the robbery.
All three have pleaded guilty to the robbery of Ms McKiernan.
However, McMahon and Cassidy made away from the post office with only cash, coins and a cheque to the value of €8,944.63.
In sentencing, Judge Comerford imposed a prison term of seven years and two months on Michael McMahon of Plunkett Drive, Kilkishen suspending the final nine months resulting in a six year-five month jail term.
Judge Comerford imposed a five year and 10 month prison term on Darren Cassidy of Lifford Mews, Lifford, Ennis suspending the final six months resulting in Mr Cassidy’s jail term totalling five years and four months.
Judge Comerford back-dated the jail terms to January 23rd when the two were first remanded in custody.
In evidence, Det Garda Deirdre Collins said that Mr McMahon smashed the glass at the counter at the post office demanding money and making threats while Mr Cassidy entered the office area and struck Ms McKiernan with an iron bar.
Det Collins said that Cassidy then knocked Ms McKiernan to the ground and Ms McKiernan managed to press the panic button.
In her statement to Gardai, Ms McKiernan said, “I was screaming for help, I told them I couldn’t open the safe”.
She said, “They ransacked the office and managed to find the key to open the safe”.
Ms McKiernan said that she was “absolutely terrified”. She told Gardaí, “I thought I was going to die. I was screaming and there was no one there to help me”.
She said, “I remember thinking ‘this is how I am going to die’.”
Ms McKiernan said that when she heard one of the two say to his accomplice to “‘take her outside the counter area and deal with her’ and I thought I was going to be murdered”.
In her victim impact statement personally delivered in court, Ms McKiernan told the court that the robbers “proceeded to hit me on my leg and my back” with the metal bars.
She said, “I thought I was going to die right there on the floor and that’s something that will stay with me forever”.
Ms McKiernan said, “I want the court to understand that this was not something that ended when those two men left the post office”.
She added, “The effects continued long after that day and I am still dealing with the physical and emotional consequences of what they did to me”.
After Ms McKeirnan raised the alarm, Garda units across Clare were alerted and after a high speed chase the three suspects were apprehended by members of the Garda Armed Response Unit (ARU) near Ennis at 3.45pm, January 21st.
Mr Pender (31) of Dun na hInse, Ennis told Gardaí that he was due to receive €400 payment for his role in the robbery. He said that he had hoped to get work as a barber at a business premises operated by Michael McMahon on Ennis’ Quin Rd.
Originally from Quilty in West Clare, Pender told Gardaí that he didn’t know the details of what they were going to do and all he knew was that he was the driver.
A labourer by trade, Mr Pender, who has no previous convictions, told Gardaí that he had known that someone was struck in the post office he would have left there and then.
Judge Comerford adjourned sentencing for Mr Pender and further remanded him on bail pending completion of a Probation Report on him.
McMahon and Cassidy both apologised to Ms McKiernan for their actions and Judge Comerford said that both men describe the crime they committed as ‘horrendous’.
Mr McMahon told his Probation Officer that the decision to rob the post office “was a catastrophic decision’.
Mr McMahon has 47 previous convictions including one for a “similar robbery” at a Paddy Powers outlet while Mr Cassidy has 32 previous convictions.
McMahon was a director of an auto-repair business on Ennis’ Quin Rd and has a good history of working.
In sentencing, Judge Comerford said that the offence is at a highest level of the mid-range of robbery offending.
Judge Comerford said that both McMahon and Cassidy were neither of good character as they had both engaged in prior offending and neither co-operated with Gardaí despite being questioned a number of times.
Judge Comerford imposed a headline sentence of 115 months on Mr McMahon and 100 months on Mr Cassidy.
He said that the interests of retribution, deterrence and marking of public censure has to play a strong role in the sentencing of the two.
Judge Comerford reduced the sentences on both due to the early guilty pleas and other mitigation.
