Cork man who carried two robberies on the same day jailed for three years

A three-year jail term was imposed on a 31-year-old Cork man who carried out a robbery at a shop at Blackpool in Cork and another robbery at a garage shop an hour later.

Detective Sergeant Kieran O’Sullivan outlined the evidence against Aidan Cullinane of St Joseph’s Park, The Lough, Cork, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The first robbery occurred on January 22, 2024, at 7.40am, when he entered Daybreak on Thomas Davis Street, Blackpool, and carried out a robbery of €220 from the woman who was behind the counter at the premises.

“The injured party was afraid he had some sort of weapon in his possession. He had the weapon up his sleeve and the witness could not say if it was a knife or a bar,” Det Sgt O’Sullivan said.

At 8.40am, Cullinane turned up at Maxol on Pouladuff Road, Cork, produced a large knife, and once again demanded all the cash from the till. He got away with €200 in notes.

He was later identified from extensive CCTV footage which was harvested during the course of the investigations.

Defence barrister Emmet Boyle said the accused was acting under chemical and addiction compulsion, and that his difficulties were compounded by underlying mental health issues.

Mr Boyle said that a letter of sincere apology to the two shop workers showed an unusually high level of victim empathy.

Judge Helen Boyle noted that as well as suffering from schizophrenia, coupled with psychosis, he only adhered to his regime of medication on a sporadic basis. Since the robberies were committed, he was on a depot injection of medication which was beneficial.

The judge imposed a total sentence of three years and nine months with the last nine months of that sentence suspended.