A LIMERICK priest has told a circuit court judge that he will allow a teenage criminal live at the parochial house and help him get his life back on track after securing a new job for him.
Moyross Parish Priest, Fr Tony O’Riordan told Judge Tom O’Donnell that he hopes his efforts to help the 19-year-old offender will get him back on the “straight and narrow”.
During the sentencing hearing of Christopher Higgins, with a previous address at Parnell Place, Fr O’Riordan gave an undertaking that he would do his best to help the young man who was convicted of robbery with a knife on St Patrick’s Day last year.
Detective Garda John Keane had earlier told the court that at around 12.50am on St Patrick’s Day, a man had parked his car on Pery Square when Christopher Higgins and another man got in to the car.
The court heard that the other man who was in the back seat, produced and held a knife to the driver’s throat while shouting “where’s the bleeding money”.
19-year-old Higgins was in the front seat shouting, “where is it”.
€70 in notes and coins was stolen from the driver along with a wifi dongle.
As the pair left, Christopher Higgins told the victim to keep his mouth shut.
Detective Keane said that no forensic evidence was taken from the car but prosecution counsel John O’Sullivan BL said CCTV footage from Garda and business cameras had tracked the defendant from his home at Parnell Place to the scene on Pery Square.
Accepting that Christopher Higgins was not the man in possession of the knife, Detective Keane rejected a suggestion by defence counsel Pat Whyms that he was under pressure to commit the robbery, saying it was a joint enterprise.
Fr O’Riordan, who is the parish priest of Corpus Christi in Moyross, said he was convinced that Christopher Higgins doesn’t want a life of crime and prison.
“The key to helping him is a meaningful occupation which will engage him and appropriate accommodation.”
Judge O’Donnell was told that Fr O’Riordan had secured a trial period of employment with a local family firm and was willing to put him up himself until appropriate accommodation becomes available.
Judge Tom O’Donnell adjourned sentencing until May 3.
