Precious Moyo, 38, was aided in a series of violent burglaries by Yamen Alhamada, who claimed that he went along with her because she was 'into black magic called juju, and he would be protected if he did what she said'.
"Lock them up for a long time because they are evil," were the words of one of six vulnerable pensioners preyed on by their former carer for €34,000 in violent burglaries in Athlone, Co. Westmeath last year.
Moyo, who is pregnant, had her bail discontinued after the evidence was given in an emotionally-charged hearing. Neither defendant addressed the court before being remanded in custody pending sentencing in November. The first incident took place at the house of a woman aged 73. Moyo, wearing a high-vis top and Covid facemask, hung around her home for two hours before sneaking in and taking a handbag containing €24,000. Moyo, who claims to have been a social worker before she came to Ireland in 2019, jogged to a taxi and went home.
On August 30, Moyo drove Alhamada to the house of another woman, aged 89, with advanced dementia. He knocked and told her he was looking for a missing person. She let him check the house, believing he was a Garda, but he stole her handbag, which contained over €200 and bank cards. The youth fled and was picked up by Moyo.
At around 5 am on September 2, they drove out of the town to the home of an 80-year-old man with mobility issues who lives alone. He awoke to the sound of glass breaking; Moyo had a wheel jack to smash their way in. The two intruders entered his bedroom and started shouting at him to hand over his money.
The victim, who has COPD, needs to take 12 tablets a day and has balance problems. He was bleeding but managed to get next door to alert relatives, but due to his condition, it took a while to get there. Doorbell video footage showed him distraught and gasping as he said, "I've been broken into". Gardaí confirmed his home was ransacked, and there were "pools of blood on the bedroom floor".
The teenager, disguised in a wig, mask and dress, grabbed the elderly woman by her throat and dragged her to the floor, resulting in a cut to the side of her ear as he shouted, "Where's the money?". Meanwhile, Moyo put her hand over the man's mouth, restricting his breathing, and directed the teenager to remove a wrist alarm from the woman.
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