Man charged with stealing €600 from 75-year-old woman at ATM

A 25-year-old unemployed Romanian man who appeared in court at Trim today (Thurs) charged with stealing €600 from a 75-year-old woman in the town on Tuesday last was out on bail following a similar offence in Dublin earlier this month.

Levers Zinca/Trasca with an address at Shancastle, Clondalkin, Dublin was charged with stealing the money by distracting the woman at the ATM at Bank of Ireland, Market Street, Trim.

Garda Eamonn O'Connor told Trim District Court that he had arrested the accused at 8.40am yesterday (Wed) and charged him with the offence at Trim last night.

He said that it would be alleged that the woman had put her bank card into the ATM and had put in her pin number when a male had approached her and distracted her. She discovered that €600 had been removed from her account.

The Garda said that the woman was very upset by the alleged incident.

He objected to bail on the basis that the accused had been given bail at the Central Criminal Courts of Justice on 4th January last in connection with a similar incident in which a man on crutches was allegedly robbed of money while at an ATM in Terenure. The Garda said there was confusion over the names the accused had given to Gardai. Court presenter Sergeant Tom Mahon said that while the alleged incidents had no violence attached to them, there was "great trauma" involved for the victims.

After hearing submissions from defending barrister James O'Brien (instructed by solicitor Maurice Regan) Judge Cormac Dunne refused bail and remanded the accused in custody to appear at the same court on 4th February next.