Raider with hammer who ransacked Cork home of 92-year-old woman jailed for five years

A raider armed with a clawhammer, who ransacked a house in Ballycotton during a frightening incident, was begged not to enter the bedroom of a 92-year-old woman during the aggravated burglary, but he went in and shone a torch in her eyes.

Now a local man, Eoin Archer, 30, has been jailed for five years.

Detective Garda Dave O’Shea outlined the background to the aggravated burglary carried out by Archer at the house at Ballybraher, Ballycotton, County Cork, on October 29, 2024.

“He asked could he look for a dog in his yard and the householder told him to go ahead. After a while, he went back to bed, in order to leave Mr Archer to look for the missing dog he was talking about.

“But, after a while, there was a knock at his bedroom window and he (the householder) went to the door. Eoin Archer produced a clawhammer and demanded money, before ransacking the house.

“The householder was kept in the house for over two hours while this was going on. He could only get €70 in cash for the raiders.

“He begged them not to go into one bedroom, where his 92-year-old mother, who is deaf, was asleep in bed.

“Not only did Eoin Archer go into the bedroom, but he shone the torch from his phone into her eyes, which could only be described as a despicable act.

“The householder had made it clear that any shock to his mother could — at her age — have catastrophic consequences.

“He suggested that he and the two intruders would go to an ATM. He was threatened that if he tried to drive away they would get him. They went to an ATM. He was closely followed by the two men, who forced him to drive to Circle K petrol station at Lakeview, Midleton.

“Eoin Archer directed him on what to do.

“He withdrew €600 and handed it to them. They returned to their cars. Eoin Archer threw (the man’s) phone off the ground.

“In this area, people are living in terror of Eoin Archer. As for the man with him, he was from Cork city and I am certain that if I asked him to go back to this house, where the aggravated burglary was carried out, he would not be able to find it. But Eoin Archer lived nearby.

“I know him for about 10 years. Eoin Archer is well known to me. He had a good family behind him, but he constantly threw their back in their faces.”

Defence senior counsel Donal O’Sullivan said the accused had a massive addiction problem.

“He has bad periods, but he also has good periods, would you accept that?” the senior counsel asked Det Gda O’Shea, and he replied: “Yes, but when he was bad he was terrible.”

Judge Helen Boyle imposed a total sentence of six years and six months on the accused, with the last one year and six months suspended.

The five-year prison term covers the aggravated burglary and other crimes, which he itted.

He itted that between October 18 and 21, 2024, he carried out a burglary at Chapel Rd, Ballycotton.

He also pleaded guilty to carrying out a fraud in this area earlier that month.

On October 2, he caused criminal damage to a property at Mountain View, Youghal, County Cork.

Back on December 26, 2022, he carried out the theft of €500 at Cullane North, Ballylanders, Limerick.

He itted all of these and other crimes at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.