Criminal who preyed on the elderly given nine-year sentence

A professional criminal who preyed on elderly people and expressed no remorse when questioned by gardai in relation to one of his crimes was given a nine-year jail sentence today.

Judge Patrick J. Moran noted that David Cronin, 37, formerly of Templeacre Avenue, Gurranabraher, Cork, and of no fixed address, told the investigator that he didn't give a shit about the elderly man he had robbed before adding, "if a cat is caught by a dog what does a dog do?"

Judge Moran said that he was taking a more serious view of the case because the elderly, some as old as 92, were the prey.

The nine-year sentence was backdated one year and the last two and a half years of the sentence were suspended. That effectively left Cronin with a five and a half year sentence.

As matters stood Cronin was already going to be in jail until January 2003 for other crimes.

Senior Counsel Tom Creed said the defendant was receiving counselling in Cork Prison and he said background reports described Cronin as a sad and damaged man.

Judge Moran said that a psychiatrist had described Cronin as very manipulative and the judge said that this was also clear to him as the sentencing judge from a letter that Cronin had written to him.

One of the victims, a 92 year old woman, suffered a broken hip after being struck down by Cronin when he entered her house posing as a local authority worker.

Judge Moran said yesterday that it was fortunate that Mary Murphy of College Road in Cork City had the strength to learn how to walk again following the vicious assault in January 2002.

Cronin's sentence also included several similar crimes.