Cork man skipped meeting in garda station over off-licence robbery to carry out second robbery

A man agreed to go to the Bridewell Garda Station to be questioned about robbing an off-licence but he skipped this meeting and decided to carry out another almost identical crime instead.

Now at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, a three-year jail term has been imposed on Graham O’Mahony, aged 40, of 62 Edward Walsh Rd, Togher, Cork, for carrying out robberies at two off-licences in Cork city last November.

He signed pleas of guilty to charges of robbery on November 8, 2024, at Galvin’s Carry-Out, Bandon Rd, Cork, and robbery on November 19, 2024, at O’Donovan’s off-licence on Summerhill North.

Detective Garda Carol-Ann O’Callaghan outlined the background to the two incidents where the second was committed as the accused became aware that he was the subject of active investigation for the first robbery.

After receiving a phone call from Det Garda O’Callaghan, O’Mahony agreed to go into the Bridewell to be interviewed for the first robbery but instead went off to commit the second robbery.

The first robbery happened on November 8, 2024. O’Mahony turned up at Galvin’s on Bandon Rd armed with a knife and demanded money from the till, threatening to harm the manager if he called the gardaí. He robbed €291 from the till.

Extensive CCTV was harvested and O’Mahony was tracked running from the scene and making his way to Noonan Rd and as far as Clarke’s Bridge where he removed face covering. 

His home was later searched under warrant, when he was not present, and clothing related to the robbery was recovered.

As soon as he was contacted by gardaí he robbed O’Donovan’s off-licence in exactly the same manner as the first robbery, getting away with €385 cash on that occasion.

By his own admission he had a serious heroin addiction and needs to go into rehabilitation. 

However, Judge Helen Boyle noted that he had a place available in a treatment centre but committed these robberies.

“He sabotaged his own recovery by committing these offences when he had a place in treatment waiting for him,” said Judge Boyle. She imposed a total sentence of four years with the last year suspended to incentivise rehabilitation.