Two young men who broke into the home of a 51-year-old priest and attacked him on the head with a hammer before tying him up and making off with over €2,000 in cash were today given prison sentences.
William Nolan (19) from 41 Comeragh Park, the Glen in Cork was given a two year sentence for aggravated burglary and assault causing serious harm to Fr Gerry Cremin at his home at 24 Arderrin Way the Glen on December 31st 2004.
Nolan's co-accused in the aggravated burglary of Fr Cremin, Stephen Casey (19) from 228 Comeragh Park, the Glen was sentenced to five years in jail for the burglary and for assault causing harm to Fr Cremin.
Supt Martin Shanahan told Cork Circuit Criminal Court that Fr Cremin was asleep in bed when the two men burst in on top of him at around 4am and pushed him against a radiator before Nolan hit him twice on the head with a lump hammer.
Fr Cremin was bleeding profusely from a head wound and he pleaded with the two men not to tie him up as he feared that he would bleed to death but he managed to free himself and raise the alarm after the two men had fled with over over 2,000 euro in church takings.
Supt Shanahan said Fr Cremin was badly traumatized by the incident and while the two men had claimed they didn't know that it was a priest's house, he didn't accept that while he also pointed out that at no stage did either of them express remorse or apologise to the priest.