Ringleader of ‘chilling’ theft has term cut

The ringleader of a “spine-chilling” attack — in which a student was “frog-marched” to an ATM and told to withdraw money or his girlfriend would be raped by two accomplices — has had his jail term reduced on appeal.

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 by Judge Martin Nolan on March 29, 2012.

The Court of Appeal heard that the victims were a young woman and her engineering-student boyfriend, who have since broken up as a result of the incident. The boyfriend blamed himself for not being able to spare his girlfriend from the ordeal. She moved back to live with her parents while he cut short his college career.