A man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for attempting to rob a retired Kerry journalist at Killarney Post Office.
Donal Hickey was buying stamps just before Christmas when a 44-year-old man, whose social welfare payment had not come through, attempted to take his wallet.
Seán Cronin, of no fixed abode, appeared before Judge Alec Gabbett at Tralee Circuit Court via video link.
He had pleaded guilty to attempting to rob Donal Hickey at the post office on New Street, Killarney, last December.
The court heard that there had been an issue with Mr Cronin's social welfare payment.
While queuing at Killarney Post Office, he noticed Mr Hickey, who was at the counter, take out his wallet to pay for stamps.
In what Garda Sergeant Nigel Shevlin described as an "opportunistic" attempt, Mr Cronin pushed Mr Hickey's hand aside and tried to grab the wallet.
Mr Hickey fought back and, in the words of defence counsel Katie O'Connell, "wrestled" the wallet back and gave the would-be robber "a battering".
Mr Cronin admitted he had been "out of his head on Xanax", and the court heard he has a problem with alcohol.
Following the tussle, Mr Cronin fled in the direction of Tesco.
Mr Hickey immediately went to Killarney Garda Station to report the incident.
Unbeknownst to him, Mr Cronin had not managed to get the wallet.
A woman who witnessed the incident picked it up from the ground and handed it in.
Ms O'Connell told the court that Mr Cronin is a highly regarded pastry chef whose life had gone off the rails in recent years as his addictions developed.
Among the mitigating factors taken into account by Judge Alec Gabbett were a positive Governor's report, his engagement in education while in prison, a very good work history, and the fact he had no previous convictions until later in life.
Judge Gabbett sentenced Seán Cronin to 18 months in prison, with the final six months suspended for three years.
The sentence was backdated to 11 December (2025), when Mr Cronin was first taken into custody.
