Robbery at post office in Dundalk

The scene at the Dublin Street post office at 2.45pm. Picture: Talk of the Town

A man has been arrested following an attempted robbery at the Dublin Street post office in Dundalk.

It has emerged that two local men came to the rescue of staff, who had been held up by a man threatening them with a needle, shortly after lunchtime.

The branch, opposite The Windsor Bar, was closed following the incident with Gardaí quickly on the scene.

The man, who is understood to have been from Drogheda, was apprehended at the scene after being wrestled to the floor by the two men following a brief struggle.

Staff described the robbery as “not serious” and a notice on the door – which said the branch was closed for “security reasons” – said it would reopen at 4pm.

Statements of those in the post office at the time were taken next door in a local solicitor’s office.

Dundalk woman names rapist nephew

The Central Criminal Court

A 75-year-old local woman whose nephew was jailed for 14 years earlier this week for violently raping her has waived her right to anonymity to have him named.

Christopher Ward (aged 51) was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury last month of the rape and sexual assault of his aunt, Kathleen Ward, at her Dundalk home on March 13, 2011 following an eight-day trial.

Mrs Ward, a widow, has indicated since the sentence was imposed yesterday that she wishes to waive her right to anonymity.

Mr Ward, who has a previous address in Birmingham, England, was unlawfully at large from Hatfield Prison in the UK at the time of the rape.

He was serving an 11-year sentence for robbery and wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm. He had failed to return from day release in January 2011.

Ward has 92 previous convictions for offences in the UK, where he grew up, including burglary, false imprisonment, road traffic offences, escape from lawful custody and assault.

He has one previous conviction for sex with a minor committed when he was a teenager.

Ward raped his aunt on her bed after tearing off the elderly woman’s clothes during a four-hour ordeal which began when she let him in for a cup of tea. She sustained substantial injuries and had difficulty walking for some time.

Mr Justice George Birmingham said the woman had understandably felt she was safe letting her nephew in for a cup of tea. “Sadly she could not have been more wrong,” he said.

He noted Ward has not expressed any “regret, apology or remorse” for the offence.

Mr Justice Birmingham said the aggravating factors include the vulnerability of the victim, the disparity in physical strength, the injuries sustained by the woman and the effect the offence had on her. He imposed a 14 year sentence for the rape and a concurrent three and a half years for the sexual assault.

In her victim impact statement, Mrs Ward outlined how she no longer trusts men and felt so ashamed by what had happened that she wanted to die.

She said her world turned upside down when Ward raped her and she no longer feels safe in her own home. She said feels she will never get over it and has no quality of life.

She said the only thing Ward never took from her was her belief in God.

Ward returned to the UK following the rape where he was arrested in June 2011 and returned to prison to complete his sentence.

He was interviewed in prison by gardaí and claimed there had been “a moment of moral weakness” between him and his aunt and the sex was consensual.

Ward was extradited to Ireland on completion of his sentence in 2012 and has been in custody in Ireland since.

Michael Delaney SC, prosecuting, said the view of the Director of Public Prosecutions was that the offences were on the higher end of the scale.

Eoin Lawlor BL, defending, said the accused man is single with no children and no drug addictions. He has been in custody on this offence for two years.

Detective Inspector Patrick Marry told Michael Delaney SC, prosecuting, that Mrs Ward had met her nephew on one previous occasion when he called to her house about one week prior to the rape and they had a cup of tea. She had said it was a normal innocuous visit.

On the morning of March 13, 2011 the woman had risen and dressed at 7am when she heard her doorbell ringing. She saw it was her nephew and invited him in for a cup of tea.

As she made a cup of tea in the kitchen Ward came up behind her and put his hand over her mouth and a knife to her throat. He threatened her and dragged her into the sitting room where he pulled off her bottom clothes as she struggled.

Still holding the knife he brought her to the bedroom where he tore off her top and cardigan before raping her on the bed.

Before he left four hours later at 10.45am he threatened her, warning her not to say anything.

The woman phoned relatives who persuaded her to contact gardaí. She had already taken a shower because she felt dirty.

Det Insp Marry said Ward had been given day release in January 2011 from a sentence he was serving but he failed to return to prison and was deemed to have absconded.

Interim Garda Commissioner determined to catch Donohoe killers

The late Adrian Donohoe RIP

The interim Garda Commissioner says she’s determined that the people who murdered Adrian Donohoe will be pursued and apprehended.

The Detective Garda was shot dead during a botched robbery at the Lordship Credit Union outside Dundalk in January 2013.

Gardaí previously stated they are satisfied that they’ve identified the gang members involved – but no arrests have yet been made.

However, Noirin O’Sullivan says she is very confident that the people who murdered Adrian Donohoe will be brought to justice.

She said: “We are very, very determined that the people who murdered [him] will be pursued and will be apprehended.

“We’re having very, very good cooperation with the PSNI and our colleagues in the US authorities and I’m very confident that the people that murdered Garda Donohoe will be brought to justice.”

Ms O’Sullivan made the comments at the Garda Representative Association’s annual conference in Kerry yesterday.

Gardaí appeal for information on robbery at Londis store in Dundalk

Londis on the Castletown Road

Gardaí are appealing for information following a robbery at the Londis store on the Castletown Road last Thursday evening.

The incident happened around 9.30pm when a male entered the shop and demanded cash from the till. He told the shopkeeper that he was armed with a gun before grabbing the cash and taking off on foot on the Castletown Road and then onto St Nicholas Avenue.

He was described as wearing a dark-coloured hoodie with a yellow cord, navy Canterbury tracksuit bottoms, grey gloves and had a scarf over his face with his hood up.

Anyone who was in the area at the time and who may have seen anything or who knows anything about the incident is asked to contact Dundalk Gardaí on 042 933 55 77.

Dundalk store vows to reopen following break-in

A local shopkeeper has vowed to reopen his store following a break-in last week.

J&S Stores in Toberona was broken into last Thursday night/Friday morning with a large quantity of cigarettes and scratch cards stolen.

Thousands of euro worth of stock and equipment were also either destroyed or damaged by raiders, who are believed to have gained access to the shop via the roof.

The store has remained closed since but the owners are hopeful of it reopening next week.

Gardaí are investigating the robbery at present.

Candlelight walk planned in honour of Garda Adrian Donohoe this Saturday

A tribute to Adrian Donohoe inside the St Patrick’s clubrooms, where Saturday night’s walk will conclude

A candlelight walk will take place from Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan to the St Patrick’s GFC grounds in Lordship on Saturday night to mark the one-year anniversary of Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe’s murder.

The popular father of two was shot at a robbery at the credit union on January 25^th 2013 and to mark the occasion a walk in his memory will be observed on Saturday.

The event gets underway at 9.15pm from the credit union, where there will be a short period of reflection, followed by the walk to the Pat’s grounds – a club of which Adrian was a proud member.

Lordship Credit Union will also be closed this Saturday to mark the first anniversary of Garda Donohoe’s death. It will open instead on Friday from 11am to 4pm.

Viramontes found guilty of attempted murder of Natasha McShane

Heriberto Viramontes

A man has been found guilty in America of the attempted murder of Silverbridge girl Natasha McShane and her friend Stacey Jurich in Chicago in April 2010.

Heriberto Viramontes was found guilty at Cook County Court yesterday evening of the attempted murders of Ms McShane and her friend, who were beaten and robbed as they returned home from a night out in the Bucktown neighbourhood of Chicago in April 2010.

The jury also found Viramontes guilty on six charges of aggravated battery and two of armed robbery.

He faces a maximum 120 years in prison when sentenced later this year.

Members of the McShane family – including mum Sheila, who is a member of the Stewart family from Silverbridge – hugged each other and cried after the verdict was read out, just before 6pm local time, after three and a half hours of deliberating by the jury.

Natasha’s brother Conor McShane, in a statement on behalf of the family, said the crime three and a half years ago brought “great sadness and sorrow to our home.”

He added: “The verdict provides us with a sense of justice, provides us with a sense of relief. This crime changed her life forever and has had a devastating impact on our entire family.”

He said it was a “daily struggle” for Natasha and that the crime had “ruined Natasha’s life.”

Natasha, now 27, remains unable to walk without support and can barely talk having suffered severe brain injuries during the attack.

Related articles

• Attack on Natasha McShane lasted just three minutes, court hears (talkofthetown.ie)

Natasha McShane before the attack

McShane accused Viramontes will not be taking the stand in his defence

Natasha McShane before the attack

Heriberto Viramontes, the man on trial in Chicago at present charged with the attempted murder of Silverbridge girl Natasha McShane, will not be taking the stand in his own defence.

Natasha, whose mum Sheila is a member of the Stewart family from Cox’s Demesne, has been left with extensive brain injuries and speech problems as a result of a baseball bat attack as she was walking home from a night out with a friend in Chicago in April 2010.

Viramontes is on trial at presented charged with attempted murder, aggravated battery and armed robbery in connection with the assault on Natasha and her friend Stacey Jurich.

Jurors were told yesterday, however, that the 34-year-old would not be testifying.

Already jurors have been played jailhouse recordings of Viramontes, in which he admitted he attacked the women. In one recording of his phonecalls from Cook County Jail, he could be heard saying: “My intention was not to kill them, my intention was to get money to get high.”

The defence team claims the evidence linking Viramontes to the crime is circumstantial and have attempted to cast doubt on the testimony of key witness Marcy Cruz, who was with him on the night in question.

The jury is expected to begin deliberating later today, after hearing closing arguments.

Related articles

• Attack on Natasha McShane lasted just three minutes, court hears (talkofthetown.ie)

Windsor owner foils robber in Dundalk

 

Thanks to Ronan for bringing our attention to an incident which happened in Dublin Street and Park Street this morning.

A thief, reported to have been from Drogheda, tried to flee from the Dublin Street area having stolen a sum of money. He was pursued, however, by Windsor owner Donal McGeough, who caught up with him at the Kingfisher on Park Street.

The thief failed to get anything in the end and was passed on to Gardaí after the incident.

Source: Ronan of Heino (Twitter)