Adam Wal outside Cavan Circuit Court last November.

'Ridiculous state of affairs'

A Kingscourt shop owner has described as “a ridiculous state of affairs” that, a man convicted in connection with an attempted robbery on his premises, is now suing him for damages for injuries sustained while on the premises. Polish man Adam Wal (pictured), who had an address in Bailieboro at the time, sustained a cut to his scrotum, while trying to get away from gardaí after the botched raid on Centra back in November 2015.

The shop owner, Kevin Victory, expressed his shock to The Anglo-Celt this week that the business is being sued by the intruder; who is also suing the Garda Commissioner, the Minister for Justice, the Attorney General and the State.
“I just thought people would be better knowing about it, than not knowing it,” said Kevin, explaining his motivation to go public with the story.
“Insurance is there for a reason but, when something goes wrong, when you bring it on yourself, it is ridiculous!” he lambasted.
Wal subsequently received a six-month sentence in connection with the raid, suspended for two years.
Kevin explained that raiders broke into his store from the back of the premises at around twelve midnight. Thankfully another local retailer saw lights going on and off in the store and he rang the Gardaí.
 

Red handed

There was an armed Garda unit on patrol nearby and Kevin said that “they literally caught them red handed”.
It understood that Wal sustained the injury while trying to escape from gardaí. He was arrested and taken to hospital.
“I wasn’t even told that the man was injured on the premises – I only found out when I got the solicitor’s letter. Then we got the PIAB [Personal Injuries Assessment Board] Report and the injury was on that,” outlined the shop owner.

“He injured himself trying to make his escape. It probably would have been dark in the store and he probably injured himself on a shelf or a unit that was there,” surmised Kevin.
When asked what was the nature of the injury, Kevin said that the intruder “had a cut to his scrotum”.

 

‘Ridiculous!’
He further expressed his disappointment that the perpetrators only received suspended sentences. “It was just lucky, it wasn’t me who came upon it - the alarm went off.”
Kevin claimed that around €3,000 in damage was caused by the raiders.
“They just left the place wrecked. To come in that morning, everything smashed up, there was a big steel door on the back of the premises – smashed in. I could not get the same door, so they had to bring it in a bit and put a new door on it.
“They smashed the camera and it actually blew the box... three or four of the cameras were wrecked,” he added.
Kevin is encouraged that the insurance company is going to contest the claim.
“It is more a matter of principle with me now,” he said.
“What annoys me too -  is that he obviously has no moral compass,” said Kevin.
“At the end of the day, it is not about me and it is not even about your man – it is the fact that this can go on. I am not sure where it will end up. If he won his case, sure the Gardaí may just hang up their hand cuffs,” he slammed.