Andrew Carey
HEROIN addicts who engaged in prostitution to feed their drug habit lured a man to a Limerick city centre apartment where they beat and robbed him.
Judge Carroll Moran was told at a sentencing hearing in Limerick Circuit Court last week that a plan was devised by five drug addicts to “pick some eegit, bring him back to an apartment and rob him.”
John Coleman, (26) of Clare Street; Amanda Coleman, (27) of McGarry House Alphonsus Street; Pamela Maher (29), of Upper Gerald Griffin Street and Emer O’Connell (30) of Clare Street, Limerick were charged with robbery, false imprisonment and the assault of the male victim in his 30s on March 23 last.
Garda John Sheahan said he was dealing with a separate matter in the vicinity of Clare Street when he was approached by a man in a car who said he was attacked when he was lured to an apartment in the city centre.
The man had cuts and bruising including three puncture wounds that were consistent with being stabbed during an altercation. He also identified the apartment on Clare Street where the incident occurred.
He described how he was approached by two women who asked him for a lift to their apartment as he left a city centre night club.
When he accepted their invitation to go into apartment for a cup of tea, the women tried to undress him. Emer O’Connell and Pamela Maher were in the bedroom area when two men appeared.
The men, identified as John Coleman and Mr X, attacked the victim with knives. Coleman held a silver knife to his throat while Mr X stabbed him in the upper shoulder/neck area.
As he attempted to escape, Amanda Coleman emerged from a wardrobe and searched his pockets while he was being held and beaten by the others.
He was stabbed twice more and received other cuts and blows.
He was told he would be castrated and have his throat slit. Another of his attackers said “I will fucking kill you” while he was being punched in the face.
John O’Sullivan, for the prosecution, said that the whole ordeal was very traumatic for the victim.
Two phones and an ATM card were taken before he broke free, grabbing a key from one of the women and escaping from the apartment.
When they were arrested, the assailants were heavily under the influence of “snow blow” or crystal meth, which they had taken earlier that day in the apartment. All four admitted their involvement to the Gardaí.
All four were heavy drug users who fuelled their drug use with serious crime.
The three women, all with numerous previous convictions, were known to regularly “work the streets” to feed their drug habit while John Coleman was a convicted criminal who often resorted to violent crime to source money for drugs. He also had previous convictions including one for the robbery of a 92 year-old woman in her home.
When Amanda Coleman was arrested, Gardaí said she was cross-eyed from being under the influence of drugs.
Pamela Maher was six months pregnant when she committed the offence and Emer O’Connell, who had 120 previous convictions, admitted that it was her fault the victim came back to the apartment.
Judge Carroll Moran adjourned sentencing until next term as legal issues arose over possible suspended sentences for two of the defendants. He also required more time to consider a suitable sentence.
