by Andrew Carey
andrew
A CONVICTED killer and a gang rapist have each been sentenced to four years in prison for what a Circuit Court judge described as a violent robbery committed by two violent offenders.
Michael Hayes (34) of Galvone Road, Kennedy Park and Thomas O’Neill (25) of Prospect, Limerick pleaded guilty to forcing a man down a Limerick city laneway and robbing him of a mobile phone and some change.
Michael Hayes has a previous manslaughter conviction for stabbing 42 year-old James Kelly to death in June 2001. He was sentenced to five years imprisonment in January 2005 and also served sentences for larceny, burglary, possession of knives, assault and criminal damage.
Thomas O’Neill was sentenced to 10 years detention for his part in the gang rape of a woman at Cratloe Woods in 2005. He also has previous convictions for assaults, threats to cause criminal damage, false imprisonment, intimidation and burglary.
He is partner of April Collins, the chief prosecution witness in the trial of John Dundon who was recently convicted of murdering Garryowen rugby player Shane Geoghegan in November 2008. They have one child together.
At Limerick Circuit Court last week, Garda Barry Manton gave evidence of responding to a report of a robbery in the Glentworth Street area of the city shortly before 11pm on March 30 last.
Two men, both wearing dark clothes and hoodies, were walking away from the scene and when he called on them to stop, they both fled with O’Neill throwing the robbed mobile phone under a car.
The injured party, although not physically hurt, was “frozen in fear”.
Both men were apprehended a short distance from the scene but were “uncooperative” after arrest, although they pleaded guilty to charges of robbery and false imprisonment.
Imposing a four year prison term on each accused, Judge Carroll Moran said it must have been a very traumatic experience for the injured party. It was a violent robbery committed by two violent offenders but the pleas were entered at the earliest possible opportunity.
He added that both men had very bad records with previous convictions for serious offences.
Activating a suspended prison sentence that O’Neill had for threatening to burn down the home of the sister of Euro Millions winner Dolores McNamara, Judge Moran ordered that two years of the four year sentence be suspended for a period of six years. He also ordered that it be served consecutively.
Two of the four year sentence given to Hayes was also suspended but for a period of four years.
No order was made on the charge of false imprisonment as Judge Moran said it was part of the robbery charge.
