A 28-year-old man was remanded in custody yesterday charged with the theft of a Cork pensioner’s life savings while posing as a garda.
Kenneth Lyons, with an address at 25 Willison Meadows, Tower, Blarney, Co Cork, was charged with the theft of €28,000 in cash from the 70-year-old pensioner’s home at Wolfe Tone Street in Cork last Sunday, June 26th.
The pensioner was preparing to travel to Medjugorje on a pilgrimage when the alleged robbery took place.
At Cork District Court yesterday, Mr Lyons faced two charges, the first in relation to the alleged theft of the sum of €28,000 from the man’s home contrary to section four of the Theft Act on June 26th 2011.
The defendant faced a second charge that he, not being a member of An Garda Síochána, made a statement calculated falsely to suggest he was a member, contrary to section 60 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 on the same date.
The defendant was arrested on Wednesday last and brought to Gurranebraher Garda station for questioning.
Giving evidence of arrest, charge and caution, Det Garda Aidan Forrest said Mr Lyons made no reply to the charges put to him following his arrest.
The State objected to bail on a number of grounds, including the seriousness of the alleged offences.
The defendant’s solicitor, Frank Buttimer, argued that the accused was entitled to bail but Judge Con O’Leary remanded Mr Lyons in custody to appear before the court again next Thursday, July 7th.