A burglar who was one of three people alleged to have robbed €300 worth of steel from a farmer claimed medical damages for the injuries he sustained while making an escape after the robbery, the farmer has said.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Liveline on Monday, Carlow farmer Tom Doran said that he was contacted by a neighbour in February 2013, who told him his farm was being robbed.

“I was 60km away at the time. I called the gardai and they said they wouldn’t be there for an hour, hour and a half as they were in north Co Carlow at the time.

“But my neighbour that rang me and other neighbours and my wife, went to the spot where the robbery was taking place and held up the three [burglars] coming out from my place.

“They just stood out in front of them on the road, where they couldn’t get out of the cul de sac [in the vehicle they were in] from my place.”

Doran said that one of his neighbours had a shotgun just to frighten the burglars and this had stopped them from leaving.

“But when they were questioned what they were doing in my yard they got very abusive.

“My wife asked them what they were doing, that they had no cause to be in there and no one invited them in.”

They got very abusive, put the van in gear and drove the van at my wife, attempting to knock her down.

Doran said that his neighbour then proceeded to discharge two shots in order to save Doran’s wife, which resulted in the driver being struck in the shoulder.

“[It was] just a very slight wound, but it still didn’t stop them from getting away.

“They got down the road and a mile and a half down the road they were stopped by the gardaí coming to my place and they pleaded with the gardaí that they were injured.

“The gardaí let them go because they had been injured and I queried then with the gardaí why they didn’t seize the van and they said they couldn’t because the guy was injured.”

Court

However, Doran then revealed that following that, he was summoned to go to court because his neighbour discharged his shotgun on his land. After going to court on three separate occasions, the case was heard on the third occasion and the case was dismissed, he said.

Following on from this, the three burglars were up in court for the theft of the steel.

“They admitted to being there and being fired on but afterwards we got a letter [which said] they [were claiming] medical damages for their injuries.

“We ignored the letters we thought it was all over, but then we got [other] letters which were more serious.

“I went to my solicitor and he advised me that we may show an appearance in court, and if we had to show an appearance in court it would cost €5,000-€6,000 to defend myself.

“We have sent back letters saying that we were not guilty, we were just defending ourselves and our property and I wasn’t even there so they were suing me for something I wasn’t even there for.”

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