A young man who was part of a three-man gang who held up a Letterkenny service station has been jailed for 18 months.
Dean Kelly, aged 21, was sitting at his house in Glenwood Park in Letterkenny when two friends called to hatch a plan to rob the Glencar Filling Station – less than 500 yards from his home.
Kelly was arrested after Gardai viewed CCTV footage as well as going through clothing including shoes lost by the gang as they ran through a muddy field making their getaway.
Letterkenny Circuit Court was told the men rushed into the petrol station on Circular Road at around 9.40pm on November 2nd, 2014.
The men had their faces covered, had a gun and shouted at shop assistant Niamh McLaughlin to open the cash register.
She managed to press the panic alarm but the gang managed to snatch the cash till which contained €1,141 in cash.
The men ran from the scene and Gardai were on the scene quickly.
Detective Garda Tom Kilcoyne told how an investigation led them to Dean Kelly who admitted his part in the robbery but refused to name his two accomplices.
Kelly said that he had been on all types of drugs including cannabis, cocaine and heroin or “nearly any drugs I could get my hands on.”
Barrister Ms Fiona Crawford said Kelly was from a family of 12 and his mother had died when he was young.
However, she said that he had tried to turn his life around since this incident, was off drink and drugs, and had put on two stone in recent months.
“When I met him this morning, I genuinely did not recognise him,” said Ms Crawford.
A victim impact statement was handed into court on behalf of shop assistant Ms McLaughlin in which it revealed she suffered nightmares and panic attacks as a result of being held up.
Kelly said he was glad that he did not have to face Ms McLaughlin in court after what had happened.
But he said “If she was here I would apologise to her and I am very remorseful and sorry for what that woman went through. I’m just very, very sorry.”
Judge Terence O’Sullivan said robbery was a very serious matter and that’s why it carried a possible sentence of life imprisonment.
He said Kelly had pleaded guilty at an early stage and also took into account his young age.
He sentenced him to two years in prison but suspended the last six months.