A Dublin man who terrified more than 20 pensioners in the Bandon Road Post Office in Cork city during a £78,000 armed robbery was yesterday jailed for 12 years.
Tommy Savage jnr, of St Cronan's Close, Swords, Co Dublin, burst into the post office accompanied by another man as customers were waiting to collect their pensions on November 15th, 1996. Both men carried loaded sawn-off shotguns.
Postmistress Ms Eileen O'Leary told Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday she had opened up only moments earlier. One of the men jumped on top of the counter and down on her.
Det Sgt Denis Cahill said many of the pensioners had crouched down in fear as the two men raided the safe. He said Savage and his accomplice also threatened local Garda Pat Enright, who confronted them at the postoffice door. Garda Enright called for assistance and pursued the men as they escaped by car. Det Sgt Cahill said it was the most serious robbery he had investigated since coming to Cork 17 years ago. Many armed robberies involved imitation guns or unloaded weapons but both guns in this case were found to be loaded.
Savage was later arrested, but subsequently fled from the State. He was re-arrested on his return in 1998. Det Sgt Cahill said the money was not recovered and he believed that Savage and not his accomplice - who fled the jurisdiction before the case came to trial - was the sole beneficiary of the robbery.
Judge Patrick Moran said it was one of the most serious crimes he had ever tried. He noted that both Ms O'Leary and Garda Enright had been threatened and put in fear for their lives. Savage's defence in the trial amounted to a direct attack on the behaviour on the gardai, alleging that they had fabricated evidence, he said, but the jury had rejected that.
He backdated the sentence to May 1st, when Savage was first remanded in custody.