Posted by DNA MATCH |
Dad-of-five (32) who held up petrol station with airgun was chased away by owner
Noel McLoughlin initially declined to assist gardaí, but when presented with CCTV footage showing him at the scene, told investigating officers: “It’s me, yeah.”
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A father of five and recovering drug addict has been jailed for five years for carrying out an attempted armed robbery of a filling station in Longford last year.
Thirty-two-year-old Noel McLoughlin, of Ferafad, Ardagh Road, Longford was handed down the term at a sitting of Longford Circuit Criminal Court today, January 11, following an incident at the midlands town’s Camlin Service Station, Dublin Road on September 14, 2023.
Mr McLoughlin was charged with attempted robbery and the possession of a 6mm calibre revolver which, the court heard, was an imitation airgun that was capable of dispensing plastic pellets.
The jobless soon-to-be father of six, had earlier gone forward to the Circuit Court after signing guilty pleas in the District Court last December.
The court heard how the accused cycled to the filling station and entered the premises shortly after 8am.
The store’s owner, Joe Raleigh, noticed the accused enter the premises with his hood up and asked for Amber Leaf tobacco.
Counsel for the Director of Public Prosecutions, Shane Geraghty BL, said it was during the course of that exchange, that Mr McLoughlin suddenly pointed the gun at Mr Raleigh.
Judge Kenneth Connolly was told, Mr Raleigh, described as a man of “some fortitude,” told Mr McLoughlin to leave before chasing him out of the store and down the road with a bottle of wine in his hand.
A brief chase ensued into the entrance of a nearby housing estate where Mr McLoughlin turned and pointed the gun at Mr Raleigh before fleeing the scene on foot.
The court heard how a “painstaking” ground search carried out by local gardaí resulted in both the retrieval of the firearm and items of clothing Mr McLoughlin had discarded when making his getaway.
Forensic analysis taken of the weapon used in the botched raid later provided a DNA match, while CCTV footage taken from close to the scene of the incident enabled detectives to positively identify Mr McLoughlin as the investigation’s prime suspect.
A number of searches were also carried out at a property of another “person of interest” who had been seen cycling with Mr McLoughlin on the morning of the attempted robbery.
During those searches, it was disclosed, clothing the accused had changed into following the bungled raid was recovered.
It was revealed Mr McLoughlin initially declined to assist gardaí, but when presented with CCTV footage showing him at the scene, told investigating officers: “It’s me, yeah.”
The court was told the accused had 76 previous convictions and was on a suspended one-month sentence handed down at Ennis District Court for robbery.
In defence, Niall Flynn BL, said that despite the ordeal inflicted upon Mr Raleigh, the incident itself lasted 42 seconds and involved no verbal threats being made to the victim.
“There won’t be any sequels of Oceans 11 being made on foot this offence
He said the entire episode, while premeditated owing to Mr McLoughlin’s possession of a firearm in the eyes of the law, “lacked sophistication,” adding: “There won’t be any sequels of Ocean’s 11 being made on foot this offence.”
Mr Flynn also implored the court to factor in how his client was a man who was under the influence of a drug addiction at the time and was someone who suffered from dyslexia, anxiety and borderline personality disorder after leaving school at an early age.
He said the motive for Mr McLoughlin’s decision to go out and attempt to commit robbery on the day in question was fuelled by “certain pressures” that had arisen as a result of his addiction.
Mr Flynn said the Longford man’s life had effectively “spiralled out of control” following the death of his brother when he was 15-years-old.
He explained how his client was now free of all illicit substances, enjoyed enhanced status in prison and was expecting the imminent birth of his child.
In delivering sentence, Judge Connolly singled out the comprehensive garda investigation that resulted in a successful prosecution being realised.
He praised the victim, Mr Raleigh, describing him as a “particularly robust character” in the way in which he confronted the accused during the course of the incident.
Judge Connolly said it was his view that the Section 27 firearms charge, in this instance, was of a more serious nature than that of the attempted robbery offence.
As such, he said the former charge was one which carried a headline tariff of seven and a half years which, allowing for mitigation, could be reduced to a period of five years.
In handing down the five year term for the firearms charge, Judge Connolly opted against suspending any of its duration owing to the fact Mr McLoughlin had received the benefit of suspended prison sentence when carrying out the attempted raid in Longford last September.
The accompanying attempted robbery charge was taken into consideration with the five year sentence being backdated to September 15, 2023.
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