Picture: Don Moloney / Press 22
A TOP ranked pool player has been “left in the gutter” over his involvement in robbing the betting shop he managed, Limerick Circuit Court was told last week.
Neil Madigan (32) of Prospect, Limerick was said to have run up large gambling debts and was trying to “bet his way out of trouble” when he staged a robbery of the Ladbrokes betting shop on Cecil Street shortly before 9:30pm on March 17, 2015.
An international pool player, he was also involved in bringing high profile snooker players like Denis Taylor and Steve Davis to Limerick for exhibition matches. He even had an exhibition match arranged for the day after the alleged robbery.
Detective Garda Michael Lambe said that Neil Madigan was counting cash when Hayden Johnson (22) from Ballinacurra Weston approached the counter.
Madigan later told Gardaí that he let Johnson in behind the counter because he was afraid he was going to be stabbed.
Johnson made off with €6,000 in cash but missed another bag of money in the safe.
The store manager gave a detailed statement to Gardaí in which he recounted details of the alleged robbery. Extensive CCTV footage was from around the city centre was examined and eventually Johnson was identified through an unusual jacket he was wearing.
Johnson, who was a former apprentice jockey, was arrested and after initially denying any involvement, he later admitted to robbing the betting shop and claimed there was only €2,000 in the cash bag which was not recovered.
The head of security at Ladbrokes became suspicious of Neil Madigan’s actions on the night of the alleged robbery as he had failed to adhere to certain security protocols. He had also failed to make bank lodgements for two days before incident.
Prosecution Counsel John O’Sullivan BL said it soon became apparent “that it was effectively an inside job”.
He was betting on credit at the shop he managed as well as betting in other shops around the city.
Three months later, he admitted his involvement and told Gardaí that he met an unnamed man who said he could help him by “sending a young fella down if there was money ready”.
Madigan, who worked with Ladbrokes for 11 years, didn’t think the man was serious but went along with it after he was told the debt would be wiped out.
Defence counsel Brian McInerney said his client was now “in the gutter and has limited prospects such is the attraction this story will get”.
Hayden Johnson had since secured a job and offered to pay €100 every two weeks to repay the €2,000 he claimed was in the bag.
Adjourning the case for 12 months, Judge Tom O’Donnell said he would take into account if any compensation was paid.
Madigan and Johnson were released on continuing bail.
