A Tipperary man, who suffers from osteoporosis, and who appeared in court yesterday with a broken neck, was one of a gang of four who robbed an Austrian tourist walking in the Slieve Bloom mountains.
Birr District Court was told Patrick McInerney (23), Ballyheen, Templemore, Co Tipperary has a broken neck, though he appeared in court without a collar. McInerney, and co-defendant John Murphy (24), Railway View, Roscrea, Co Tipperary, both pleaded guilty to robbing a camera and €400 from the tourist on August 19th last year.
Two other men, who face charges relating to the robbery, were not before the court yesterday. Murphy and McInerney were not the ringleaders, Garda Kevin Egan told the court.
Garda Egan said the tourist was walking alone in a secluded area when the four men drove up in a car. They asked him for the change of a tenner, but also intimidated him by standing around him. He handed over his wallet and camera. The camera was later handed back to gardaí by McInerney's mother.
McInerney was given a 12-month suspended sentence, ordered to pay €450 compensation and fined €250. Murphy was sentenced to eight months in jail.