*Michael McMahon.
A SECOND Clare man has entered a guilty plea in the circuit court to the robbery of a post office in the west Clare village of Carrigaholt in January of this year.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Michael McMahon (38) of Plunkett Drive, Kilkishen, has pleaded guilty to robbing Maura McKiernan, the post-mistress at An Post Carrigaholt, The Square, Carrigaholt of cash, coins and a cheque to the value of €8,944.63, contrary to Section 14 of the Criminal justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act 2001 on January 21st.
Mr McMahon is the second of the four accused in the robbery to enter a guilty plea to the circuit court to the robbery.
Earlier this month at Ennis Circuit Court, Darren Cassidy (38) of Lifford Mews, Lifford, Ennis affirmed the signed guilty plea he had previously entered at Ennis District Court,
Co-accused Darragh Pender (30) of Dun na hInse, Ennis has signed a plea of guilty to the robbery in the district court.
Mr Pender has twice since attended Ennis Circuit Court to affirm his signed plea of guilty but has been unable to do so due to the solicitors’ dispute with the Dept of Justice over the criminal legal aid flat fee dispute.
A fourth accused, Martin Downes (36) of Seafield Park, Quilty is due to appear before Ennis Circuit Court on Friday concerning the robbery charge.
In court on Thursday, counsel for Mr McMahon, Patrick Whyms BL (instructed by solicitor, Daragh Hassett) requested a Probation Report for his client ahead of a sentencing hearing in the Autumn.
Mr Whyms said that Mr McMahon has been in custody since the offence in January.
He said that Mr McMahon went a long period of time when he was offence free.
He said that Mr McMahon worked for seven years but suffered a fall in November 2024.
Mr Whyms said that Mr McMahon set up his own business which was not lucrative.
Mr Whyms said that Mr McMahon has been very focused while on prison on rehabilitation and has engaged in pursuing all course options available.
Mr Whyms stated that his client accepts that there will be a custodial sentence.
Mr Whyms said that a half a day will be required for the sentencing hearing.
Counsel for the State, Sarah Jane Comerford BL (instructed by State Solicitor for Clare, Aisling Casey) said that the case could be adjourned to October 13th to fix a date for sentence.
Mr Whyms said that his client did not to go forward on a signed plea but was always going to plea guilty.
Judge Francis Comerford said that he didn’t regard a signed plea as some magic document and said that an early guilty plea had the same status as a signed plea.
He said that they are much the same. Mr Whyms said that no signed plea was made as there were discussions on the narrative around an alleged assault during the course of the robbery.
Mr Whyms said that it is his client’s view that he was not responsible for for any direct assault during the robbery.
At a contested bail hearing in January, Sgt Shane Graham told the court that it is the Garda belief that the four men before the court charged with robbery were part of a four person joint enterprise “who acted in concert and colluded in order to carry out a cold and calculated robbery”.
Opposing bail for the four, Sgt Graham said that it will be alleged that the four member strong gang “involved two getaway drivers and two members of the gang that entered the premises where the post mistress was violently and viciously assaulted with iron bars by both males”.
Sgt Graham was one of the members of An Garda Síochana who was involved in a high speed car chase across west Clare that ended on the outskirts of Ennis where the four suspects were apprehended by members of the Garda Armed Response Unit (ARU) at 3.45pm, January 21st.
Sgt Graham said that during the case, items were thrown from the alleged second getaway car, a BMW, and he said that Gardai later recovered €6,500 in notes and coins from the road.
