A Dublin man who robbed the same pharmacy twice in four months has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that on the February 13th, 2021, John O’Kane was working in Medipharm on North Frederick St, Dublin 1. Mr O’Kane heard someone entering the shop and came to the pharmacy counter to serve the customer.
William Gaynor (56) of no fixed abode, entered the pharmacy holding a knife and attempted to gain access to the dispensary area of the pharmacy, saying: “This is a stick up”.
Garda Erin Connell of Mountjoy Garda station told John Moher BL, prosecuting, that the accused could not get the dispensary door open and jumped the pharmacy counter.
A female member of staff asked Gaynor what he wanted, to which he replied: “Xanax and cash”.
Xanac and €300 was handed over to Gaynor, who then left the pharmacy. The court heard gardaí arrived at the scene and Gaynor was identified on CCTV.
After his arrest, Gaynor told gardaí he had carried out the robbery on the pharmacy as he wanted to carry out euthanasia. He said he was sick and treatment was not working, adding that he had not eaten or slept and he just wanted to end it all.
Second robbery
Approximately four months later, Gaynor entered the same shop, armed with a corkscrew, and demanded cash and Valium.
The court heard there were several staff members in the shop and a woman with two young children. The panic button was pressed which alerted the gardaí to the robbery.
Some 150 Valium tablets and €300 in cash were handed over, and the man left the shop.
Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, defending, told the court there was no use of violence carried out in either of the robberies, adding that her client had a long-standing drug addiction and suffered from physical medical conditions.
The court heard that on both occasions of his arrest, Gaynor admitted to carrying out the robberies and entered guilty pleas at the very earliest stages.
Staff members from the pharmacy were asked if they wished to make victim impact statements, but they declined.
Judge Pauline Codd outlined that the most significant aggravating factor was that Gaynor targeted the same pharmacy twice in four months. She also stated that Gaynor has previous convictions for both robbery and theft.
Judge Codd noted mitigating factors, such as Gaynor’s early guilty pleas, his personal history, the positive governor’s report and the accused's physical medical conditions.
Judge Codd sentenced Gaynor to four years in prison, backdated for time already served.
