'I thought I was going to be stabbed': Teenage girl scared for her life during robbery at Limerick petrol station

A TEENAGE girl working in a petrol station at night said she “felt the most scared I have ever been in my life” after a drug addict jumped the counter and demanded cash at knifepoint.

“I felt helpless as I was the only one in the store at the time. I thought I was going to be stabbed,” said the 18-year-old to gardai.

Patrick Shanahan, aged 37, of McGarry House Homeless Accommodation, Alphonsus Street, Limerick city but who is from County Tipperary and went to school in Doon, pleaded guilty to robbery and production of a box cutter knife.

Prosecuting barrister John O’Sullivan, instructed by State solicitor Padraig Mawe, outlined the evidence with the assistance of Garda Michael McMahon at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court last Monday.

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Mr O’Sullivan said Mr Shanahan jumped the counter of the Circle K filling station in Caherdavin, Limerick city at 9.15pm on November 20, 2024.

“He  demanded cash at knife point. He was standing over the victim, forcing her to remove cash. 

“He shouted ‘this is a robbery, open the till, don’t get stabbed over this’,” said Mr O’Sullivan, who described the CCTV footage which was played to the court as “quite graphic”.

Mr Shanahan, who was dressed all in black, ran out of the shop with €90 and a set of keys. 

“He approached a taxi in the forecourt but the taxi driver told him he had a booking. The accused ran away. The taxi driver must be commended as a short time later he flagged down a passing garda car and identified the robber. Mr Shanahan was arrested by gardai. Gardai found a coat, gloves and a hood discarded by the accused which contained the knife. The Circle K keys were found on his person,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

The teenage girl declined to make a victim impact statement for court but told gardai “she felt the most scared I have ever been in my life” and “I thought I was going to be stabbed”.

Mr O’Sullivan said Mr Shanahan has numerous previous convictions for theft, as well as one assault causing harm and criminal damage. The prosecuting barrister said an aggravating factor was that the robbery occurred while Mr Shanahan was subject to a suspended prison sentence.

Liam Carroll BL, who represented  the accused, said it was accepted his client was caught red-handed and it was a particularly nasty incident.

“It is something he is very ashamed of. He was under the influence at the time. He had taken 12 street xanax which he was not familiar with - his drug of choice is heroin. He has absolutely no recollection whatsoever of the incident,” said Mr Carroll.

The barrister said his client is from County Tipperary, went to school in Doon and qualified as a bricklayer.

“He is quite a latecomer to crime of this nature. He was working at all times. Things started to deteriorate at the start of Covid. He was drinking heavily and drug use became a factor. He became homeless. On the day in question he couldn’t secure heroin so got xanax,” said Mr Carroll. Mr Shanahan is doing well in prison where he has been on remand following his arrest, said the barrister.

“He previously went ‘cold turkey’ but suffered a relapse. This time he is on a methadone programme, is engaging with Merchants Quay and wants to go into residential treatment when he is released,” said Mr Carroll.

The barrister read out a letter of apology penned by Mr Shanahan to the teenage girl in which he said he said he was sorry for the stress or emotional damage he caused.

“I am both ashamed and embarrassed about what I did and I only wish I could take it back but I can’t. I wasn't always like this. I am a qualified  bricklayer by trade. I turned to hard drugs when I split from my partner and became homeless and dependent on heroin. 

“I can’t begin to imagine how frightening this must have been. I will never do anything like that again. I let drugs take hold of me and make me do something I will always regret. I deserve whatever punishment I get and will use that time to better myself. Sorry,” read out Mr Carroll.

Judge Colin Daly said it was an extremely frightening experience for the teenage victim and jailed Mr Shanahan for two and a half years which was backdated to November 21 when he first went into custody. The judge adjourned giving his decision to activate all or part of the suspended sentence for three weeks.