cocaine cowboy | 

Man armed with toy gun threatened to “blow the brains out” of staff in drug debt robbery

He later told gardaí his hometown of Athy in Co. Kildare is “a free for all” for cocaine and he started using the drug at the age of 17.

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A construction worker armed with a toy gun threatened to “blow the brains out” of two shop workers in a robbery to pay off his cocaine dealers.

Daniel Leigh (28) earned €600 a week, but was spending €900 a week on cocaine, it was heard at Naas Circuit Court this week.

He later told gardaí his hometown of Athy in Co. Kildare is “a free for all” for cocaine and he started using the drug at the age of 17.

Leigh, a father-of-three, told them he owed money to six people and had to “juggle” between them every week.

Despite wearing a balaclava, Leigh was quickly identified from CCTV footage as the suspect for the €700 robbery at the XL shop at Dun Brinn, Athy in July 2021.

Although he initially denied the robbery he later made a full admission in interviews with gardaí and the toy gun was found where he had changed his clothes before and after the hold-up.

He told the officers he wanted to “tell the lads in the shop I’m sorry,” neither of whom provided a victim impact statement.

At the time of the robbery he had been taking cocaine for eight years and had been building up debt all the time.

Leigh signed up to a drug treatment course shortly after being bailed from custody in 2021 and is still part of the programme.

Judge Fiona O’Sullivan said that in the two years since the robbery Leigh has taken steps to deal with his drug issue and that while it is a serious offence, she would adjourn the case to allow for a probation report.

“I’m inclined to order a Probation Report to give him a chance to put his best case forward.”

Leigh was remanded on continuing bail.