A postmistress working alone at a remote An Post office in west Clare was allegedly “violently and viciously assaulted” by two men wielding metal bars on Wednesday afternoon.
At Ennis District Court this afternoon, Sergeant Shane Graham said gardaà believe the four men before the court, all charged with robbery, were part of a four-man joint enterprise who acted together and colluded to carry out what he described as a cold and calculated robbery, reports RTE.
Opposing bail, Mr Graham said it will be alleged that the four-member gang, all with addresses in Co Clare, consisted of two getaway drivers and two men who entered the premises where the postmistress was violently and viciously attacked with iron bars by both assailants.
Mr Graham was among the members of An Garda SÃochána involved in a high-speed pursuit across west Clare, which ended on the outskirts of Ennis where the four suspects were arrested by the Garda Armed Response Unit at around 3.45pm on Wednesday afternoon, reports RTE.
In the case, 36-year-old Martin Downes of Seafield Park, Quilty, 38-year-old Michael McMahon of Plunkett Drive, Kilkishen, 38-year-old Darren Cassidy of Lifford Mews, Lifford, Ennis and 30-year-old Darragh Pender of Dún na hInse, Ennis are all charged with robbing Maura McKiernan, postmistress at An Post Carrigaholt, The Square, Carrigaholt, of cash, coins and a cheque valued at €8,944.63.
Mr Graham said that during the incident items were thrown from what is alleged to have been the second getaway car, a BMW, and gardaà later recovered €6,500 in notes and coins from the roadway, reports RTE.
He said gardaà also recovered a Supervalu shopping bag at the post office which is believed to have been used in the robbery, along with two metal bars, and that a further quantity of cash was later recovered at the post office scene.
Mr Graham said it will be alleged that Pender and Downes acted as the getaway drivers in the robbery and confirmed to the court that neither man has any previous convictions, reports RTE.
He told the court that during the pursuit he saw the first getaway vehicle, a black saloon car, on fire close to a wind farm at Letteragh.
Mr Graham said it will be alleged that Downes collected his three co-accused near the Letteragh wind farm in the second getaway vehicle, reports RTE.
He said that two of the suspects, wearing white overalls, black gloves and black hoodies covering their faces, entered Carrigaholt Post Office at approximately 3.10pm armed with metal bars and allegedly carried out a violent assault on Ms McKiernan.
Mr Graham said that on arrest, one of the accused, Cassidy, had a receipt dated 19 January from Carrigaholt Post Office stuck to his tracksuit with chewing gum, reports RTE.
He said that after the getaway car left the post office, Ms McKiernan contacted gardaà to raise the alarm and all garda mobile units across Clare were immediately alerted.
Judge Alec Gabbett said the postmistress was left with “very serious injuries” and, after viewing photographs submitted to the court, commented that Ms McKiernan “was left black and blue”, reports RTE.
Judge Gabbett said the postmistress “must have been absolutely terrified” during the alleged robbery at the isolated location in west Clare.
Mr Graham said gardaà will be seeking to have the cases against the four men dealt with in the Circuit Court, reports RTE.
Bail applications were made on behalf of the accused by solicitors John Casey, Daragh Hassett and Tara Godfrey.
Judge Gabbett refused bail to all four accused and remanded them in custody to appear before Ennis District Court by video link on Wednesday 28 January, reports RTE.
He also granted legal aid to allow the solicitors to represent the accused.
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