Judge jails teen with 78 previous convictions

A teenager with with 78 previous convictions has been jailed by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for three years for his role in a Ir£37,500 robbery from a Securicor van during which the guard transferring the money was viciously assaulted.

The 17-year-old, who can't be named for legal reasons, and Synnott Brennan (21), from Sean O'Casey Avenue, Dublin 1, both pleaded guilty to carrying out the robbery on October 22, 2001.

Brennan was jailed for four years.

Judge Yvonne Murphy said their arrest was testimony to the efficiency of CCTV operations, suspended the last year of their respective sentences in light of their early plea of guilty and the difficult backgrounds from which they both came.

She said, however, the assault on the security officer had been extremely vicious and also noted that only a small amount of the Ir£37,500 had been recovered.

Detective Garda Kevin Stratford told prosecuting counsel Ms Mary Rose Gearty BL, at the hearing that the Securicor guard, Mr James Rice, went into the AIB bank on Lower Drumcondra Road at 4.20 p.m. after parking the van outside.

At the same point, off-duty garda, Gda Michael Smyth, observed the two accused sitting at a nearby bus stop but they didn't appear to be waiting for a bus because a number had gone by.

When Mr Rice emerged the two youths attacked him and grabbed the security smoke box containing the Ir£37,500 he was carrying. Mr Rice was kicked and punched as the two youths attempted to prise free the box of money.

Both then ran off but Gda Smyth saw the pair make their escape and as they ran towards him he attempted to stop them. They succeeded in evading the garda with each other's help and ran on to Botanic Avenue.

They then got into a Ford van and made off with the money. The box was later found in a nearby garden.

Det Gda Stratford said CCTV cameras outside the bank didn't catch the robbery but did see the two culprits arrive at the scene and then make their escape.

They were arrested on October 31 and admitted carrying out the robbery. Brennan arranged to have his girlfriend call to the garda station later that day and hand over Ir£1,000. He told gardai it was all that was left.

Det Gda Stratford said that the money was distributed between the driver of the van and three others who were inside but the two before the court would have got the largest portion.

Ms Aileen Donnelly BL, counsel for the teenatger, said her client came from a very difficult background. He lived with his sick mother, sister and brothers at a flat in the north inner city but occasionally stayed with his aunt in Ballyfermot.

Mr Damian Colgan BL, for Brennan, said his client suffered at the hands of his violent father for years. He dabbled in cocaine and only got Ir£6,000 from the proceeds of the robbery.