JUDGE Carroll Moran told a 19-year-old man that he could face a three-year prison sentence for the attempted robbery and the production of a knife to a 12-year-old secondary school student walking home after school. Samuel Cribbins, with an address at 15 Norbiton Hall, Raheen, was before Judge Carroll Moran, after he pleaded guilty to the offences last month. The court heard that the 12-year-old boy was walking home from a secondary school when he noticed a teenager ahead of him acting suspiciously.
Garda Annmarie Hassett, Mayorstone Garda Station, told the court that on December 20 last, she was on patrol in the northside of the city when a mother and son stopped the Garda car to alert them to an incident that had just occurred shortly after 3pm.
The teen, who the boy later identified to be the accused, was wearing a dark hoody and had his face initially covered with a balaclava.
The boy crossed the road and walked through the grounds of a nearby church to avoid passing the suspicious character, but as the pair neared a residential drive adjacent to the Ennis Road, Cribbins, the court heard, pounced on him demanding his mobile phone.
“Gimme your phone or I’ll dig the head off you,” is what was reported to have been said by Cribbins to the youth.
The court heard that during the attack, the boy’s assailant drew a blue handled knife and attempted to cut open his pockets.
He then lifted him and threw him to the ground.
After a brief struggle, the boy made good his escape and fled towards two people walking near the scene, and alerted them to his attacker.
Shortly after, the assailant ran off and the boy’s mother arrived on scene.
The court heard that Cribbins was identified by the boy from the patrol car as he walked near the Gaelic Grounds.
Cribbins was arrested and found in possession of a blue handle knife, and wearing a dark hoody.
In his defence, Brian McInerney, representing the accused, said that Limerick city had many youths wearing similar type hoodies and that Cribbins initially said he had the knife for his own protection.
It was also offered that Cribbin, who has suffered from an addiction to prescription tablets since his junior cert years, only asked the youth for his phone and then ran off.
The court heard that Cribbins had received a three-month suspended sentence just five days before the attempted robbery incident, and that on May 4 last, “he saw the inside of Mulgrave Street prison,” according to Mr McInerney, as part of a three month sentence handed down for theft.
Mr McInerney further stated that Cribbins had encountered some personal difficulties in the last few years when he became addicted to tablets, but when he wasn’t taking them, he was a pleasant and polite young man. Garda Hassett agreed when this was put to her.
The court also heard that Cribbins was engaged with the Limerick Youth Service since March 2010, having prematurely left secondary school.
Mr McInerney told the court this was the same school that the 12-year-old boy attended.
Judge Carroll Moran said that it was a frightening set of events for the boy and his mother, and that an appropriate sentence of three years would be applicable.
However, following pleas and mitigation, he deferred the matter until next January, and ordered that Cribbins engage with the Probation Services fully.
“I have a three year sentence in mind… I will review it again, but it’s curtains if he gets in trouble between this and then”.
The matter was adjourned until January 10, 2012.
