‘highly violent’ | 

Women ‘held at gunpoint in Dublin flats by raiders who beat them with butts of their guns’

It was alleged two men with Dublin accents entered wearing dark clothing and snoods and carrying black handguns

Today at 10:59

Two frightened women were held at gunpoint in their apartment by armed raiders who beat them with the butts of their weapons as they demanded money, it is alleged.

Paul Heaney (40) and Lee Byrne (25) are accused of assaulting the women while burgling their central Dublin apartment in a “highly violent” and “targeted” 20-minute attack.

Judge Shalom Binchy granted them bail and adjourned the case for DPP directions.

Mr Heaney, from Michael Mallin House in the south inner city and Mr Byrne of Termon Court, Poppintree, Ballymun are both charged with burglary and two counts of assault causing harm.

Objecting to bail, gardai said the incident happened at apartments on Dorset Street on January 13.

It was alleged two men with Dublin accents entered wearing dark clothing and snoods and carrying black handguns. They held the two women at gunpoint, demanding money and hit them with the butts of their guns when they were unable to give them any, gardai said.

When one of the alleged victims tried to escape, one of the intruders dragged her back by the hair and continued to make demands for money,

The burglars told the women to open their banking apps on their phones and when they refused, they further assaulted them by punching them and hitting them with the guns, the court heard.

One of the women gave the intruders €20 from her purse and a phone was also taken.

A third flatmate then returned and the intruders turned their attention on him, pointing their guns at him, demanding money and threatening to shoot him, gardai said.

One of the women escaped and fled to the Tesco across the road, where she raised the alarm.

When gardai arrived, the intruders had fled. The accused were arrested on a later date.

Gardai said Mr Byrne had access to another apartment in the same complex where snoods and an imitation firearm believed to have been used in the burglary were found.

According to the prosecution, evidence included CCTV footage of two men alleged to be the accused outside the apartments on the day and two days later.

Gardai said Mr Heaney was identifiable on the January 15 footage, while a man with the same “distinctive gait” was visible on January 13.

They alleged the burglary was a “targeted attack” of a “highly violent nature” and featured a 20-minute assault on the victims.

Mr Heaney’s solicitor Andy Walsh said his client’s face was not visible in any footage on the offence date. The court heard Mr Heaney was “skinnier” than the “average build” of the attackers described by the victims.

None of the items taken or found had been linked to Mr Heaney, Mr Walsh said.

Mr Byrne’s solicitor Amy Dudley said her client was not the only person who had access to the other apartment.

Clothing items found there were “generic”, she said.

Judge Kelly said both accused were presumed innocent. She set bail at €2,000 in each case, with €500 cash to be lodged by Mr Heaney and €1,000 by Mr Byrne.

Under conditions, they are to stay away from the alleged victims and the location, and sign on at their local garda stations.