Court hears of ‘violent’ attack on staff during alleged robbery attempt
TWO teenagers have been remanded in custody accused of launching a “violent and sustained attack” on employees of a Tyrone filling station.
The pair, Ryan Lynch, 18, of no fixed abode in Omagh, and 19 year-old Niall Paul Monteith, from Deverney Park, also in the town, are accused of attempting to rob a Texaco service station at Campsie Road of money and cigarettes on Monday last, July 23.
A third man, 42 year-old Alan Boyd-Holmes, from Deverney Park, also faces a charge of attempted robbery in connection with the alleged incident.
Lynch, meanwhile, faces two additional charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, one of making a threat to kill, and one of criminal damage.
Monteith is additionally charged with three counts of assaulting police, three of attempted criminal damage, two of criminal damage and two of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
A PSNI detective told Dungannon Magistrates Court she believed she could connect all three men to the charges against them.
Describing the circumstances of the incident, the police woman said officers were called to the service station at around 8.30pm on the night in question.
The officer said there had been substantial damage caused to the shop and two staff members sustained “quite serious” assaults, with one employee taken from the scene by ambulance to hospital.
Upon viewing CCTV, police were able to identify Monteith and Lynch entering the shop and almost immediately begin to punch at the till, throwing items behind the till at a male staff member, the court heard.
Both Monteith and Lynch then came behind the counter and assaulted the two staff members, the officer explained.
The third defendant, Mr Boyd-Holmes, was seen to enter the shop and remain for the duration of the assault, the officer added.
After a second “violent and sustained attack” was carried out, the officer continued, all three defendants left the scene in Mr Boyd-Holmes’ car.
A defending lawyer for Boyd-Holmes claimed her client told police he had no intention of committing a robbery on the date in question, but had simply taken Lynch and Monteith to buy cigarettes.
Boyd-Holmes had gone into the shop to attempt to “defuse the situation”, said the lawyer, and take the younger men away from the scene.
Bail was granted to Boyd-Holmes, however, District Judge, John Meehan, said there was “no question” of bail for Lynch and Monteith.
The Judge said the incident had been “terrifying” for the shopkeeper, and noted that there was prolific criminal offending on the records of both Lynch and Monteith.
The case was adjourned until August 21 at Omagh Magistrates Court.
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Wednesday 22 May 2013
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