A MAN who robbed a filling station of €18,000 of cigarettes while on bail for a violent episode in which he exposed himself and threatened to rape a man was jailed for three years.
Michael Nevin (20), of Yeats Avenue, Southill, Limerick City, was sentenced at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court after entering guilty pleas to a number of offences.
The court heard that on May 16, 2023, Mr Nevin told a man he chased into an off-licence premises at Roches Street in Limerick City: “I will rape you and shove this bottle up your arse.”
Nevin, and co-accused Joe (Joseph) Connole (21), of Collins Avenue, Limerick City, both pleaded guilty to one count of violent disorder on a full facts basis.
Prosecuting barrister John O’Sullivan, instructed by State Solicitor Padraig Mawe, assisted by Sergeant Chris McGrath, said Mr Nevin and Mr Connole threatened a man at Parnell Street earlier on the night whom they had a personal dispute with.
The man told the two accused, along with a third man who was not before the court: “One by one, come to me, I will f**k you up.”
Nevin and Connole chased the man inside the off-licence and brandished bottles at him.
When the store manager asked them to leave, Connole picked up a can of beer and threw it at the victim, hitting him, the court heard.
Later on, the two defendants returned to the store, the court was told. Connole stayed in his car while Nevin arrived as a passenger on a motorbike as part of a group of motorcyclists who were wearing balaclavas, one of whom was carrying a baton.
Nevin attempted to gain entry to the off-licence and, while standing outside the premises, “he exposes his penis and shakes it”, Mr O’Sullivan said.
The victim told Gardaí that Connole threatened to kill him and Nevin told him he would rape him.
Nevin smirked and chuckled as the evidence was read in court by Mr O’Sullivan.
Connole and Nevin both identified themselves on CCTV footage when they were interviewed by Gardaí.
When Gardaí asked Nevin how he thought he looked in the footage, he replied: “Maybe as if I was gonna kill someone.”
Connole admitted during Garda interviews that he had made threats against the man “in the heat of the moment”.
Liam Carroll BL and Yvonne Quinn BL, barristers for Nevin and Connole respectively, told the court that, at the time, their clients had no prior convictions; that they had identified themselves on CCTV and cooperated with gardai; and had apologised to the victim.
Mr Carroll said Nevin had had a difficult upbringing, abused alcohol and drugs, and never had a positive male role model growing up.
Sergeant McGrath agreed with Ms Quinn that Connole had a good work history in the construction industry; was never in trouble before or since; and that he found him to be “a gentleman” in his dealings with him.
In respect of the violent disorder, Nevin was sentenced to 18 months in jail and Connole was given a two-year suspended sentence.
Nevin also pleaded guilty to burglary at a filling station in Glin, County Limerick, and criminal damage of the premises; possessing burglary tools when he and others robbed the premises of €18,000 cigarettes; and caused €10,000 damage to the premises on September 9, 2025.
Nevin was on bail at the time of the violent disorder offence, the court heard.
Gardaí played CCTV footage in court of the robbery, showing Nevin falling from the gang’s getaway car as he attempted to jump into the vehicle as it speed away from the filling station to flee from Gardaí and the shop’s owners, who were alerted to the robbery.
In respect of the burglary, Judge Daly imposed a consecutive jail sentence of two years with the final six months suspended on Nevin, and took into consideration the criminal damage and possessing burglary items, including ski masks, which Gardaí found on Nevin’s person on the night.