A Judge refused bail to a Ballyfermot man accused of robbing seven taxi drivers. Mr Paul Zambra (20), of Inagh Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin, appeared in Dublin District Court charged with nine robberies. He is charged with robbing the Ballyfermot EBS of £960 on March 23rd, and robbing a Ballyfermot petrol station on August 14th. All the other charges involved taxi drivers.
Det Garda Ian McLaughlin said he would be alleging that in each case, Mr Zambra and an accomplice got a taxi to a cul de sac. Then the man sitting behind the driver would produce a weapon, usually a knife or syringe, and hold it to the driver's neck, while the man in front searched and robbed the driver. Judge Murrough Connellan said he would not set bail and remanded Mr Zambra in custody to August 29th.