Court hears raider put employee of Cork shop in headlock

A member of staff at a Texaco service station in Cork was caught in a chokehold head-lock by one raider as a second culprit ripped the till from the counter.

These were the allegations made by Detective Garda Eoghain O’Callaghan at Cork District Court when he objected to bail being granted to 44-year-old Mark Sheehan of Hazel Road, Togher, Cork.

Judge Mary Dorgan granted bail on strict conditions to the accused man to appear in court again on December 3.

No bail application was made by co-accused, 41-year-old Shane O’Donoghue of Leesdale, Model Farm Road, Cork, on the same charge of carrying out the robbery of €915 at Texaco on Model Farm Road, Cork, on Wednesday, November 5. Mr O’Donoghue was remanded in custody until November 11 at Cork District Court.

During the course of the objection to bail for Mark Sheehan, Det Garda O’Callaghan described the seriousness of the allegations.

“It is alleged, that at around 8.30pm on Wednesday two men entered the Texaco Service Station on Model Farm Road in Cork. Both had their faces covered. They proceeded to behind the shop counter and demanded that staff open the tills.

“One of them then proceeded to grab one of the staff members and performed a chokehold head-lock. The other male ripped the till out and put it into a bag. Both of them then left the store on foot.

“Gardai apprehended later two men nearby, trying to discard clothing. They had the same clothing as the raiders and €625 of cash was recovered from them. There is CCTV of the incident.

“Gardai are satisfied that Mark Sheehan is the male who performed the chokehold head-lock on the employee and put him in fear.”