Jailed for role in shooting of Dublin publican

A man has been jailed for his role in the robbery and shooting of Dublin publican Charlie Chawke nearly three years ago. Mr Chawke lost his right leg in the October 2003 attack after he was shot with a double-barrelled pump-action shotgun.

Larry Cummins (56), Mellowes Road, Finglas, Dublin, was jailed for 15 years by Judge Frank O'Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The last two years of the sentence were suspended on the grounds that Cummins will be almost 70 by the time he is released and because he is of very poor health.

Cummins, a heroin addict with 65 previous convictions, had pleaded not guilty to five charges related to the robbery and shooting of Mr Chawke outside his Goat Grill pub, Goatstown, on October 6th, 2003.

He was found guilty last month of causing serious harm to Mr Chawke, robbery of €48,652 in cash and cheques, possession of a shotgun with the intent to commit robbery and two counts of possession of a shotgun with the intent to resist arrest.

Mr Chawke was leaving his pub with a bag of takings, which he intended to deposit, when he was approached, shot and the money taken.

Judge O'Donnell accepted it was Cummins's accomplice who fired the shot that later forced the amputation of Mr Chawke's right leg. However, he told Cummins that he was also armed with a single-barrel shotgun, that he had helped plan the robbery and that he knew "full well" that the guns would be used if the need arose. This made him equally culpable.

Mr Chawke had been treated "without mercy" and had clearly been watched or "stalked" by his attackers. "You did not just happen upon him," he told Cummins.

It had been a "cold, calculated and callous" attack. Cummins and his accomplice, who has not been tried and cannot be named, had been apprehended on the day by four gardaí who showed "tremendous courage".

The robbery had been well-planned "if not well-executed".

The court heard Cummins had pointed a gun to the head of one garda who tried to tackle his accomplice outside the Goat Grill as this man shouted at Cummins to shoot the garda. Four gardaí in a patrol car then chased the raiders through south Dublin before a chase on foot ensued in Stillorgan Heath estate, off the Upper Kilmacud Road.

Cummins pointed his gun at the Garda car during the car chase. His accomplice fired at the gardaí in the estate before he and Cummins were arrested.

Cummins had instructed his legal team not to cross-examine any of the witnesses. He had also attempted to call his accomplice as a witness.

Leave to appeal was refused.