Tougher sentences needed for people who hold up shops in armed raids

Tougher sentences needed for people who hold up shops in armed raids

CALLS have been made for more support for local businesses after a spate of armed raids in the first days of 2018, with one local TD believing that tougher sentences are needed.

Within the first 11 days of 2018, four violent armed raids took place on local businesses.

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As reported in The Echo, the Speaker Conolly pub in Firhouse was raided on New Year’s Day by a man armed with an imitation firearm while Meaghers Pharmacy in Glenview was targeted on January 2 by a man in a balaclava armed with a knife.

On January 5, the Centra in the Castletymon Shopping Centre was hit when two men wielding a hatchet threated staff before fleeing the scene with an undisclosed sum of cash.

The hatchet has since been recovered.

Then, on Thursday, January 11, a man armed with a knife entered Meaghers Pharmacy in the Castletymon Shopping Centre shortly after 6pm and robbed €526 from the till before escaping on foot.

This was the second time within the space of a week that the Castletymon Shopping Centre was targeted in an armed raid.

Since this recent spate of armed raids, members of the community have been asking what is being done to support local businesses, which provide a valuable service to residents living across estates.

When the question was put to Dublin South West TD, Colm Brophy (Fine Gael) he said: “I think we need far tougher sentences for people who hold up shops in armed raids – regardless of whether they use a real weapon or an imitation.

“I don’t believe that there is a strong enough deterrent in terms of sentencing, particularly in relation to armed raids.

“The people that commit these crimes don’t think that there is a real price to be paid, so we need to toughen the sentence.”

He added: “These raids are an attack on local businesses and local people, especially the young people and young adults that work in these shops.

“We also need an increase in the number of gardai locally and the armed support unit needs to be more proactive in terms of having a more visible role out there.

“For me, dealing with armed crime is a matter for the gardai and the courts – and the introduction of a meaningful sentence when [these criminals] are caught.”

Tallaght Garda Station also has a crime prevention officer on hand who is available to meet with local businesses.

Call the station on 6666000 for further details.

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