A Northern man was jailed for six years today for an assault on a nightclub manager during an armed raid in Co Donegal last year.
The Special Criminal Court was told that during the raid a shot was fired over the head of the manager and that three gunmen held 10 staff and three uniformed policeman hostage at gunpoint.
Kieran Doherty (24) a single unemployed man of Ardfoyle, Derry City, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Colm Doherty with intent to rob him at the Bailey nightclub, Redcastle, Co Donegal on March 3rd, 2001.
Detective Sergeant Tom Burke told the court that Kieran Doherty was one of three raiders who held up 10 staff at gunpoint at 3.40 a.m. as staff were preparing to go home.
Nightclub manager Mr Colm Doherty was taken at gunpoint in a car by one of the raiders who then forced him to get out of the vehicle and get down on his hands and knees, and then fired a shot over him.
One member of staff who escaped alerted staff at the nearby Redcastle Hotel and six policemen arrived at the nightclub in three cars. Three of the uniformed policemen who approached the nightclub were held at gunpoint by the three gunmen.
Two of the gunmen then made their escape, taking Mr Colm Doherty with them and after crashing through a police checkpoint they were eventually stopped across the border in Northern Ireland when an RUC device punctured their tyres.
Detective Sergeant Burke said Kieran Doherty was later arrested at a police checkpoint in Co Donegal as he attempted to return to Derry.
After his arrest police found a walkie talkie and an imitation firearm in his possession. He said the police were satisfied that Kieran Doherty was not the gunman who had fired the shot over the head of the manager.
PA