A courageous shop assistant and an alert Council employee are being hailed as heroes this week having foiled an attempted armed robbery on a well-known Mullingar shop.
On Monday of this week, the Council worker noticed a man behaving suspiciously outside a shop in Mount Street and followed him into the premises, where the man was attempting to rob the lady shop assistant inside.
The suspect involved, holding a knife, with his face masked by a scarf and headgear and only his eyes visible, demanded the contents of the till from the female staff person behind the counter of Conlon’s (Topic Newsagents)
The masked man was met with resistance, however, finding himself challenged from behind by the Council worker and from the front by the woman who was holding a brush.
As a result, with two people confronting him, it appears the would-be robber tried to get out of the shop, but the brave Council worker barred his path. Caught in the act, he finally acceeded to their demands to put down his weapon and the knife was placed on the shop counter.
Two staff members from Caffreys next door arrived, with the three men overpowering the would-be thief, pinning him to the floor until the Gardaí, who had been alerted from the shop, arrived and arrested him.
We understand that the suspect is local.
QUIET STREET
The attempted robbery happened between 10.30am and 10.45am with the normally busy street quiet at the time, as the County Council employee, Ger Ward, was involved in street cleaning work.
“I noticed this man outside the shop, bent over, as if he was about to get sick, and then I realised that he was looking into the newsagents, and I saw him with something across his face,” he told Topic.
“When the masked man went into the shop, he produced the knife, and demanded the money from the till, but I went in after him, and tried to knock the knife from his hand. The lady in the shop had a brush, and was shouting at him as well.”
“I wouldn’t let him out of the shop. He eventually put the knife down and a few other lads arrived and we held him until the Gardai came,” he said.
When the incident ended, the Council worker continued his street cleaning work around the town (as if what had happened was an everyday occurrence!)
SECOND TIME
The Conlon’s shop staff member confirmed that it was the second time that such an incident had occurred in the past few years, with the same outcome on the previous occasion.
She remarked that “the people here in Mount Street are a good community, and are ready to help one another, and this was another example.”
She explained that she had to weigh up the situation and her actions when confronted by the masked man, but when Mr Ward intervened, it made a difference.
“It isn’t something you ever want to happen, but when it does, you have to make a decision.”
She said the armed man had a scarf over his face, and headgear pulled down, with only his eyes visible.
“I think the would-be robber was a bit shocked by the reception he received,” she remarked
The suspect was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act by two plain-clothes Gardai when they arrived. He was taken to Mullingar Garda Station for questioning. It is expected that charges will be brought.
GARDA CONFIRMATION
Mullingar Gardai confirmed that on Monday morning around 10.45am, there was an attempted robbery, when a male went into a Mount Street shop and threatened the female staff member with a knife, and demanded money.
The suspect was overpowered and was held until the Gardai arrived. He was brought away for questioning.
