A Limerick solicitor feared he was going to be killed by two brothers who broke into his home and gagged and bound him, writes Kathryn Hayes.
John Jennings (34) and Martin Jennings (36), of Catherine Street, Limerick, and originally from Ballycastle, Co Antrim, were both jailed yesterday for aggravated burglary, false imprisonment and assaulting two gardaí at the home of Mr Glen Cooper (38), of Rhebogue Meadows, Limerick, on October 29th, 2003.
Yesterday the brothers, who pleaded guilty to all three charges, were jailed for a total of four years each by Judge Carroll Moran at Limerick Circuit Court.
The court heard from Det Garda Larry Glavin that Mr Cooper, a Limerick-based solicitor, was assaulted by the men, who forced their way into his home shortly after 6.30 p.m. on October 29th last.
Det Garda Glavin said Mr Cooper had arrived home from work a short time before the incident, and was getting something to eat when his doorbell rang. When he opened the door, two men rushed at him and knocked him to the ground.
Mr Cooper received a number of "hard blows" to his body, and was pinned to the floor by one of the men who sat on top of him .
"He was very frightened, and felt he was going to be killed," said Det Garda Glavin.
Mr Cooper's ankles and wrists were bound, and his eyes, nose and mouth were covered with black tape and he found it difficult to breathe.
"He feared because he was bound that he was going to be abducted," said Det Garda Glavin.
Mr Cooper suffered a swollen eye and bruises to his legs, shoulders and chest, and had a lump on his head after the attack.
Garda Pat Hanlon, one of the gardaí who arrived at the scene after the alarm was raised by a neighbour, was hit several times by John Jennings who was carrying a three-foot wooden plank.
Garda Pauline Coughlan was knocked to the ground by Martin Jennings when he tried to run away from the house.
Balaclavas, surgical gloves and a blonde wig were found at the scene, according to Garda evidence.
Before sentencing both men, Judge Carroll Moran described the incident as a "pretty vicious attack".
"Mr Cooper was in a state of terror, and he thought he was going to be killed.
"At one point he thought he was going to be abducted, and that terrible things would be done to him," said Judge Moran.
He added he would take into account the fact both men had pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity, and the evidence from their defence counsels that they were "extremely remorseful" for what they had done.
He sentenced each of them to four years in prison on the aggravated burglary charge, four years on the false imprisonment charge and one year for the assaults on Garda Hanlon and Garda Coughlan. All sentences to run concurrently.