An Armagh shop assistant, who was working behind the till when a masked man armed with a hammer carried out a daylight robbery, says her life has been “shattered” forever.
On Monday, February 27, Josh Liam Lakin, entered Mullan’s Spar on the Killylea Road at around 11.40am.
The woman behind the tills encountered the masked 27-year-old as he pulled a hammer from the front of his trousers and flailed it around striking the tills.
She shouted for help as Lakin swore and shouted demanding that she open up the till. He proceeded to jump over the till. The shop assistant suffered a minor injury in the process.
Minutes later, McArdle’s shop on the Ring Road was targeted.
The masked man, again wielding a hammer, smashed the screen of a PayPal machine. He also took approximately £200 from the till.
The shop assistant described the male repeatedly saying, “I’m a drug addict” as he pulled a monkey hat down to mask his appearance.
Waving a hammer he demanded she open the till before he put his hand in the till and grabbed the cash. The male shouted at two other people in the shop. He waved the hammer at each of them, and shouted: “Nobody f***ing move or I’ll kill you f***ing dead”.
A description of the getaway vehicle was circulated and a short time later the vehicle stopped by the police and the two defendants – Lakin and his co-accused, Daniel John Kane, of Rockmount Close in Newry – were inside, along with two other females.
It appeared that the defendants attempted to swap clothes during the getaway.
On Monday, at Craigavon Crown Court, His Honour Judge Ramsey, read from a victim impact statement, outlining how the incident has severely impacted the life of the shop assistant from the Killylea Road store.
“She has trouble sleeping and had to be prescribed medication by her doctor,” Judge Ramsey read.
“She stopped smoking three years before the incident, but she has resumed smoking because of her anxiety to return to work, and she’s had to take days off sick on a regular basis.
“She has high blood pressure…and suffers from panic attacks. It has shattered her life and left her totally traumatised. It’s affected her emotionally and has had a major impact on her health.
“She doesn’t even feel safe in her own home, as she’s always fearful. She’s had counselling sessions to help her. This has had a massive negative effect on her life.”
Josh Lakin
Judge Ramsey detailed Lakin’s troubled upbringing and how he was “addicted to opiates from birth” and “has a lengthy history of poly-substance abuse, and he is still continuing to have problems with that”.
Imposing a sentence of seven years – down from 10.5 for his guilty plea – Judge Ramsey told Lakin he will spend three of those behind bars with the other four served on licence.
His co-defendant, Kane, who has learning difficulties, was spared a prison sentence.
“The pre-sentence report is very positive,” explained Judge Ramsey.
“He shows regret for his actions. He placed himself in the company of his co-accused, and the height of his involvement was exchanging clothing with him, which was very quickly detected by police.
“I think the appropriate and proper way to do this case is by way of a suspended sentence.”
Kane was handed a three year prison sentence, suspended for three years.
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