Tralee Circuit Court has heard how a man came at the owner of a takeaway restaurant with a knife and a pizza trowel as he was closing up for the night.
The trial of 46-year-old Michael McInerney of St Vincent’s Hostel, Anglesea Terrace, Cork City, and originally from Kilkishen, Co. Clare, began today.
Mr McInerney is accused of attempted robbery and production of a knife at Lighthouse Pizza takeaway restaurant on Castle Street, Tralee, in the early hours of June 30th earlier this year.
Opening for the prosecution, Tom Rice said the jury will hear evidence from the proprietor of the takeaway restaurant, as well as CCTV footage from adjoining premises.
Mr Rice first called Garda Brian Hayles, who carried out a forensic examination of the scene at 12:30pm on June 30th this year, eight hours after the alleged incident occurred.
Under cross examination from the defending barrister, Richard Wixted, Garda Hayles told the court there was no forensic evidence at the scene.
The owner of Lighthouse Pizza, Iftikhar Ahmed, also the complainant in the case, was the next witness called.
Mr Ahmed said that at 12 o’clock on the night in question, a small man came into his premises with a €50 note, which he suspected to be a fake, looking to buy a can of Coke.
Mr Ahmed told the court he knew this man to be a local troublemaker, and did not want the trouble of accusing him of having a fake note, so he told him he did not have any change.
Mr Ahmed said four hours later, as he closed up for the night on his own, this man entered his premises with a taller man, and demanded food.
When Mr Ahmed said he was closed, it’s alleged the smaller man again demanded food, and banged on the plastic COVID screen at the counter.
Mr Ahmed told the court that, at this point, the taller man went in behind the counter, and picked up a small knife and a pizza trowel, which is used to take full pizzas out of the pizza oven.
Mr Ahmed said that this man then told him if he didn’t have food, he would give them money, while approaching him holding the knife and pizza trowel in each hand.
Mr Ahmed said he ran out of the premises at this point, and the man tried to open the till but could not, as it’s locked with a code.
Mr Ahmed told the court he was afraid, as he knew one of the men was a troublemaker and he was outnumbered, and he then identified the man who pointed the knives at him on CCTV shared with the court.
The CCTV in his premises was not working at the time of the alleged incident.
Defending, Mr Wixted said that Mr McInerney disputes Mr Ahmed’s version of events.
Mr Wixted asked Mr Ahmed why he had not previously said to gardaí that Mr McInerney had tried to open the till, to which he replied he may have been under too much pressure.
