Robber carrying knife ‘threatened to slit shop assistant’s throat’, court hears

Daniel Smith (18), accused of carrying out the robbery, was refused bail when he appeared in Dublin District Court.

Judge Bryan Smyth remanded him in custody and adjourned the case for the directions of the DPP to be given.

Mr Smith, from Ashbrook, Clogherboy Park, Navan, Co Meath, is charged with robbery and possession of a knife.

The offences are alleged to have happened at Gala, Cannon Row, Navan, on March 25.

The prosecuting garda told the judge he was objecting to bail.

Outlining the prosecution’s case, he said gardaí responded to a call to the filling station shop and were told a man – alleged to be the accused – had come in and produced a knife.

It was alleged he threatened the shop assistant with it, pointing it at her face and telling her: “This is a robbery, put the money in the bag or I’ll slit your f**king throat.”

The shop assistant took cash – €255 – out of the till and filled a bag with it.

The accused allegedly took the bag and left.

According to gardaí, Mr Smith was clearly identifiable in CCTV footage from the scene.

The garda was on patrol in Navan on March 26 when he saw Mr Smith, who ran from him, he said. The accused was apprehended after a short foot chase and arrested.

He was wearing the same clothing and carrying the same bag that had been seen in the CCTV footage, the garda alleged. A knife was found in the bag, the garda added.

Applying for bail, Mr Smith’s lawyer said her client had no previous convictions and had never been arrested before.

He had spent a night in custody before being brought to court and this had been an “eye-opening experience” for someone who had “never come to garda attention before in his whole life”, she said.

Mr Smith’s lawyer said if granted bail, the accused would abide by conditions; he would live at his family home, sign on daily at a garda station and provide a contact phone number to gardaí.

Judge Smyth said the charges were serious and he shared the garda concerns over bail being granted.

The defence lawyer said the case could possibly remain in the district court but Judge Smyth said he thought this was unlikely.

He remanded the accused in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court on Friday.