Cork man guilty of robbery pleads with judge to go ahead with sentencing

A young 26-year-old man facing sentencing for carrying out robberies from two people in the Mardyke area of Cork pleaded with a judge to go ahead with his sentencing even though he is without legal representation due to the free legal aid dispute.

Jordan Waters of Mount Saint Joseph’s Drive, Bakers Rd, Cork, appeared at Cork Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing.

However, Judge Dermot Sheehan said this could not proceed due to the absence of legal representations.

Ordinarily, a person in the defendant’s position would have been represented by a barrister at the circuit court.

However, barristers were not in a position to act for accused persons in the absence of solicitors to give them instructions.

Judge Sheehan told the accused that he would remand him in custody until July 17 in the hope that matters would have resolved by then in the free legal aid dispute.

Mr Waters pleaded with the judge to go ahead with sentencing without legal representation.

The judge said that would not be in the defendant’s interests, and he would not do so.

Mr Waters then asked for his case to be adjourned to an earlier date — July 6 — in case the dispute was resolved by then.

Judge Sheehan said he would not do that, but it would be open to his solicitor to apply for liberty to re-enter the case earlier than July 17 if the dispute was resolved.

After some discussions about the dispute and the issue of legal representation with the accused, Judge Sheehan remarked that the defendant seemed to know a lot more than others about what was going on.

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge of robbery of a €725 iPhone 15 from a man at Mardyke Walk, Cork, on September 20, 2024.

He admitted that on the same date, he committed robbery of a Manchester United backpack and a Samsung phone valued at €200 at Fitzgerald’s Park, Mardyke, Cork, from another man.