Attack ringleader wins appeal against sentence

The ringleader behind an “appalling” attack in which a student was “frog marched” to an ATM machine and told to withdraw money or his girlfriend would be raped by two accomplices, has won an appeal against his sentence.

The 20-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, had pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary, robbery and false imprisonment at Botanic Avenue, Dublin 9, on April 27, 2011. He was sentenced to six years’ detention in March 29, 2012.

The Court of Appeal heard yesterday that the victims were a young woman and her civil-engineering student boyfriend who had broken up as a result of the incident.