A young man carrying a wheel brace during an armed robbery at a post office was jailed for one year.

22-year-old Nathan O’Connell of Harbour Row, Cobh, County Cork, was sentenced for his part in the robbery of Little Island post office.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said, “It was an organised robbery but he was not the organiser. They had implements and threats were used. He went in with another man.” 

Looking at the background reports on the accused, the judge said, “He had a lot of misery in his upbringing.” 

Detective Sergeant Kieran O’Sullivan said the robbery was carried out at 9.20 a.m. on May 23 2019.

“Two males entered Little Island post office. One had a firearm and Nathan O’Connell had a wheel brace. A third man was in a car outside. They demanded money and forced staff to hand over €200 in five-euro notes. They made their escape in the waiting car,” Det. Sgt. O’Sullivan said.

Asked about the defendant’s attitude to the robbery when interviewed by gardaí, the sergeant said, “He could not remember much of it. Things have not been going so well for him.

Sinead Behan defence barrister said the other two men involved in the robbery were older than Nathan O’Connell and they were desperate to gather money to pay a drugs debt.

“He got no financial benefit and he was not the main mover,” Ms Behan said.

The defence barrister said the other two men were under such serious threat about the drugs debt that they arranged – for their own safety – to meet in a public place to pay the Dublin criminals to whom they owed money.

She said Nathan O’Connell had been meeting with a drugs counsellor since the crime two years ago.

Judge Ó Donnabháin imposed a sentence of two years with half of it suspended.