A Listowel man, charged with robbing an elderly woman in the town 24 hours after a Circuit Court judge suspended a jail sentence for him last week, wept in the witness box at Tralee District Court this Wednesday when the State refused to release him on bail.

Inspector Martin McCarthy strenuously opposed the bail application of 20-year-old Patrick Harty, 104 O’Connell’s Avenue, who is said to have 52 previous convictions.

The accused is charged with robbing Mary O’Shea, 14 Saint Anne’s Bungalows, Listowel, last Thursday, May 1st, of a handbag containing two rosary beads and €160 cash.

Insp McCarthy said it was alleged that Mary O’Shea, a retired nurse’s aid and ‘quite fragile’, was returning to her home at 10pm. 

He said Ms O’Shea, who  was in her late 60s, was putting her key in the door when the defendant caught her, knocked her to the ground and ran away with her bag.

The inspector said she sustained injuries to her legs and hands as a result of being thrown to the ground instead of falling. 

He said the defendant, who had 53 previous convictions, had been placed on Probation for a year when he appeared before Judge Carroll Moran last Wednesday. 

One of the three conditions imposed by Judge Moran was that the defendant should not commit any further offences.

“The following evening at 10pm, this happened,” Inspector McCarthy said. “I believe if he is granted bail, he will commit further crime.”

Evidence of arrest and charge was given by Detective Garda Tom Bourke who said the defendant responded, ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do it. I hope the old lady is ok.”

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