Man who broke in to terminally-ill woman's home and beat her son over four hours is jailed

A Dublin man who broke into a terminally ill woman's house and repeatedly beat her son over four hours has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Graham Stafford (36) broke into the home in the early hours of the morning, believing one of the family owed him €3,000.

Detective Garda Paul Oates said Stafford kicked and hit the then 32-year-old male occupant in front of his mother, who was suffering from cancer and has since passed away.

Today Judge Pauline Codd described the offence as “heinous” and contrary to human decency and compassion to terrify somebody who was dying. She said the family were left with that legacy in the context of the woman's final days as she struggled with illness.

Her son later told gardaí that Stafford had appeared “off his head on drugs”. At one point Stafford, who was known to the family, made threats with a large kitchen knife and hit the man over the head with a Yankee Candle.

Stafford, of St Canice's Square, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to false imprisonment at Corduff Gardens, Blanchardstown, Dublin, on January 24, 2015.

His 11 previous convictions are for minor drugs and public order matters and he has been in custody since 2015.

Judge Codd took into account Stafford's guilty plea, his letter of apology and expression of remorse. She further acknowledged his difficult background and his mental health difficulties.

The judge imposed a six-year sentence with the final 18 months suspended for that period. She ordered that Stafford undergo addiction counselling and engage with training and employment services.

She backdated the sentence to July 2015, when Stafford went into custody on that matter.