Offaly trial hears elderly man was asleep before burglars assaulted and robbed him

A MAN has gone on trial at Tullamore Circuit Court accused of aggravated burglary and assault in one house and another assault in a second residence on the same night in Clara.

A jury heard that Dylan Coughlan entered the home of an elderly man living alone, John Sheerin, at Kinclare, Clara in the early hours of September, 2019.

Kevin White, BL, prosecuting (instructed by Sandra Mahon, Offaly state solicitor), told the jury they will hear evidence that Mr Coughlan was armed with an implement and that he threatened to kill or cause serious harm to Mr Sheerin, now aged 70, who was asleep at the time.

Mr White said Mr Coughlan was accompanied by another man, Wayne Dolan, but he said the jury need not concern themselves with the second individual because he was being dealt with in another court.

The jury heard Mr Sheerin woke up to find two men at the foot of his bed and the man was assaulted and the men took money and left.

Mr Coughlan, aged 22 and with an address at Armstrong Grove, Clara, denies the charges and has also pleaded not guilty to assaulting Derek Tuite at Railway View, Clara, and to producing a bat.

Mr White said the evidence will be that Mr Coughlan and the other man had been socialising with Mr Tuite earlier and they went to his address in the early hours of September 1, 2019 when he was sleeping.

They assaulted him and during the incident certain things were said to Mr Tuite leading him to believe they had been involved in the robbery of an elderly man.

Mr Coughlan is represented by Colm Smyth, SC, with Niall Storan, BL (instructed by Patrick Martin, solicitor).

The trial before Judge Keenan Johnson began on Thursday morning and is continuing.