Armed robber jailed

Armed robber jailed

18 November 2015

A MAN has been jailed for 16 years for carrying out a “terrifying armed robbery” on a Ballynahinch family.

West Belfast man Eamonn O’Boyle (41) robbed and terrorised the businessman and his family at their house outside Ballynahinch on September 11, 2013.

O’Boyle, of Westrock Gardens, pleaded guilty to robbing £5,500 in cash, cheques and jewellery, three counts of falsely imprisoning an elderly woman, her husband and their son and making a threat to kill the woman.

He also admitted possessing a gun with intent to commit robbery and stealing the family’s Mercedes car.

Passing sentence at Downpatrick Crown Court on Thursday, Judge Piers Grant told O’Boyle that he had been assessed as posing a “danger to the public in the future.”

“You pose a high risk of reoffending and a high risk of harm,” he said.

“The minimum period you will be required to serve will be eight years in custody without parole but you will not be immediately released after that.

“It will be up to the Parole Commissioners to decide when you will be released,” said the Judge.

The businessman, then aged 82, and his son were set upon by three men wearing balaclavas armed with a handgun as they returned home from their shop in Ballynahinch.

The men shouted that they were from the UDA or the UVF and frogmarched the pair into the family home.

The businessman’s 76 year-old wife, who was preparing dinner in the kitchen, was threatened with a gun.

Tying them up at their hands and feet and making them lie on the floor, one of the gang lifted a kitchen knife and threatened to cut off the fingers of the couple’s son unless they handed over cash, valuables and the keys to a safe and a car.

After ripping phone lines from the walls the gang sped off in the Mercedes. 

Police spotted the stolen car on the Malone Road in Belfast after being alerted by the family. After a short chase O’Boyle and co-accused Kieran SMyth (56), of Springfield Avenue, Belfast, were arrested.

A third accomplice ran off and remains at large.

O’Boyle had 135 previous convictions and had only been out of prison six months for carrying out another violent armed robbery.