A Dublin family’s former babysitter, who harboured a “long-standing animosity” against them, carried out a violent, armed burglary at their home, it has been alleged.
Sara Campbell (40) of Macroom Road, Coolock, Dublin 17, is accused of aggravated burglary at a residential address in the city’s northside last week.
Bail was denied at Dublin District Court after Garda Adrian O’Hanlon raised concerns over potential witness interference with the victims, a couple who both have health problems.
The garda cited the seriousness of the charge, the use of a firearm and an alleged assault that left a male occupant with blunt force head injuries.
Giving evidence, one of the victims told the court the incident unfolded at about 11.30am on Friday.
She recalled hearing a door open and seeing the accused standing there, initially feeling happy and moving to give her a hug because “she used to babysit for us”.
However, the witness said she then saw there was a man with the accused. The man began shouting and swearing at her husband before punching him, she said.
The woman claimed the man struck her husband twice in the head with a handgun before the weapon was handed over to the accused, at which point Campbell allegedly shouted: “Give me the gun, I’ll kill him, and then I will kill myself.”
The court heard that at one stage, the accused grabbed a kitchen knife and began swinging it around.
Meanwhile, the witness’s brother, who was upstairs, was put in a headlock and had €1,000 cash taken from him when Campbell rummaged through the rooms, it was alleged.
The witness also told the court her brother’s car was taken.
When he begged with the raiders to leave the keys in it, they agreed on the condition that the occupants did not call gardaí for 20 minutes, telling him they would leave the vehicle at a specific location.
The witness also told the court that the accused had demanded €10,000 in a text message sent some months prior.
Asked if any conditions could alleviate his concerns, the garda replied no, sustaining his objection because “the animosity and bad feeling” from the accused was “too strong”.
Pleading for bail unrepresented due to ongoing industrial action by solicitors over legal aid reforms, Campbell told Judge Mark O’Connell that she had a long-standing grievance with the family and “did not know what else to say” as she pleaded for bail.
She has yet to enter a plea and was remanded in custody to appear again next week.