Derry Court: Man remanded following weekend attempted city centre robbery

Derry Magistrate's Court heard today about an attempted robbery in a city centre shop on Saturday afternoon.

Kieran Cregan (32) of Patrick Street in Derry appeared charged with possessing an offensive weapon namely a knife in Waterloo Place on June 17.

He was also charged with possessing a knife in order to commit an indictable offence namely robbery on the same date.

Cregan was further charged with disorderly behaviour in Waterloo Place on the same date as well as a charge of attempted robbery of cigarettes. 

A police officer connected the accused to the charges and opposed bail. 

He told the court that at 5.45pm police were called to a report of a man with a knife in the city centre. 

They were told a man had entered a shop on the Strand Road and demanded cigarettes. 

He told the owner he had a knife and then brandished it but left once he was told the incident was being recorded on CCTV. 

Cregan was then said to have made his way towards the Guildhall Square and discarded the knife along the way. 

He was pointed out to police by members of the public and arrested. 

At interview Cregan said he had been drinking and had taken cocaine and could not recall the incident. 

He did admit the offences and expressed remorse and apologised for the offences. 

Bail was opposed due to the risk of re-offending and the fact the defendant has 44 previous convictions. 

A police officer said the fact he had left home with a knife meant he was a risk to the public and added that this incident could have been more serious. 

Defence counsel Eoghan Devlin said his client had a relevant record but he had made admissions. 

He said apparently the accused had stopped taking his medication at the time and so his 'mental health had deteriorated.' 

District Judge Oonagh Mullen said these were 'really serious charges' and she was not minded to grant bail. 

Cregan was remanded in custody to appear again on July 17.