Gang used dating site to lure, beat and rob men

A gang of three young men and a 17-year-old girl are to be sentenced for luring men using a dating website to a remote area, putting them in fear of their lives, and then robbing them.

Roscommon Circuit Court heard that two men from Dublin were lured after the 17-year-old schoolgirl, who cannot be named, posted her profile on a website seeking liaisons with men.

Judge Tony Hunt heard that one man from Dublin got in touch with the girl, who used the name ‘Emma’ on the site, and after several messages were exchanged, she invited him to meet her on June 18 last year in Strokestown in Co Roscommon.

Using a profile name ‘Amber’, she told another man from Dublin a week later who got in touch that she was “up for anything”. The schoolgirl posted two profile photographs.

Judge Hunt said that the gang, all of whom pleaded guilty to false imprisonment as well as variety of theft charges, exploited gullible men. He said the men had expected some sexual encounter but instead were subjected to assault, false imprisonment, and robbery.

Before the court were Jack Thame, aged 20, Jonathan Fitzpatrick, aged 19, and Anthony Carolan, 21, all from Strokestown, Co Roscommon.

All three pleaded guilty to the false imprisonment, assault, and robbery of the first man on June 18 last year, while Thame and Fitzpatrick pleaded guilty to the charges in relation to the second man a week later.

The schoolgirl also pleaded guilty to the charges in relation to both men. She will be sentenced next week, along with Carolan. Both were remanded on bail. Thame and Fitzpatrick were remanded in custody and will be sentenced in May.

The court was told that the first victim was given detailed instructions on where to go to meet the young female but when he arrived at the remote location at around 9.30pm, a man appeared and asked him what he was doing with his sister.

A number of other men appeared armed with a baton, hammer, and baseball bat. The victim was attacked and hit over the head, had his hands tied behind his back and his head covered. His wallet and iPhone were taken and he gave the gang his pin.

He was bundled into the boot of his own car and taken to a forest before one of the gang went to an ATM to withdraw money.

The gang member returned a couple of hours later without getting any money. A handgun was produced and the victim was taken to an ATM but he could not get any money out either. The gang members had consumed alcohol and he was later allowed to drive away. He did not report the matter for some time to the gardaí.

Judge Hunt was told that in the second incident, another man from Dublin drove to Strokestown to meet ‘Amber’ and was given specific directions to go to a remote area.

He knew the young woman from her profile photographs but a number of men appeared and attacked him, hitting him over the head with a baseball bat and causing a wound which later required stitching.

He told gardaí he thought the men, who had a hammer and other weapons including a handgun, were going to kill him. They demanded his wallet and pin and they later got €600 from his account, but other attempts to withdraw cash failed. The victim reported the incident immediately.

Judge Hunt said having done it once, the gang went and carried out the same crime a week later. “It was not something done on a whim, the bait was set. They took advantage of people who themselves were taking risks,” he said.