Dublin woman jailed for role in two burglaries

A woman who burgled an elderly man’s home with an accomplice posing as a garda has been jailed for three and a half years.

Anne-Marie Byrne, aged 30, was also jailed for two robberies of video stores committed within a day of each other.

Byrne of Kincora Rd, Clontarf, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary of Joseph Rowe’s home in Sutton on January 24, 2011. She also pleaded guilty to separate robberies at Xtravision in Ongar village on April 6, 2013, and Xtravision at Blanchardstown Shopping Centre on April 7.

Garda Brian Murphy told prosecuting counsel Fiona McGowan, that the 76-year-old victim was home alone when at 10.45pm, Byrne knocked on his door.

He said Byrne asked Mr Rowe could she come into the house and once she got inside her attitude changed. A second knock came at the door and two men, one dressed as a garda, were there.

The man dressed as a garda showed Mr Rowe identification which he took as genuine. One of the men ran upstairs and Byrne followed him while the man posing as a garda waited downstairs with Mr Rowe.

The man and Byrne returned from upstairs and the group said they have to go as “something else has come up”, and left in Mr Rowe’s Toyota Yaris. The car was found later in Kilbarrack. A plastic bag containing an official garda ID card, a wallet, and a garda hat was also recovered by investigators.

Byrne told gardaí that they had planned to go to his house looking for money to buy drugs. She has 12 previous convictions.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring imposed a two year sentence for the burglary and 18 months for the video shop robberies to be served consecutively.