Judge adjourns sentencing raiders

Two homosexuals who committed an armed robbery on a small shop with a double barrel shotgun to raise money to move away together have had their sentences adjourned.

Convicted killer and rapist Gerard Duffy and his partner, Jason Waldron, wore long trenchcoats and gloves when they walked into Sweeney's shop on Anne's Road in Drumcondra and held up the couple who ran it.

Duffy also wore a sun visor and Waldron was wearing a wig and. Duffy produced the double barrel shotgun from under his jacket while Waldron took out a long-handled knife.

They escaped with only €60 euro but Mr David Sweeney, the owners' son, took down the registration of their getaway car and it was traced to Duffy's mother.

Both men were later arrested leaving her house on Sean MacDermott Street near the city centre.

Detective Garda Kevin Keyes told Mr Paul Burns BL, prosecuting, the gun and one of the trench coats was recovered from a rucksack, as well as a number of shotgun cartridges.

Duffy, aged 40, from Sean MacDermott Street, and Waldron, aged 24, from Corrstown, St Margarets, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbery on June 6, 2002.

Judge Yvonne Murphy at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court adjourned sentence until June 27 to allow for a psychologist to see them and for Waldron to continue drug addiction treatment.

She remanded Duffy in custody and Waldron on continuing bail.

Duffy had 20 previous convictions dating back to 1977.

He was jailed for eight years in March 1993 at the Central Criminal Court for manslaughter after he beat another man to death. He was also jailed for four years in November 1998 for rape of another male prisoner in custody.

Det Garda Keyes said that in the past 26 years Duffy had spent more time in prison than out.

He said both men were in a homosexual relationship at the time and neither family agreed with it.

They were trying to raise money to move away together.

Dr Niall O'Leary told the court that he and his psychologist wife, Dr Noreen Breen, had been Waldron's foster parents since he was five. He admitted owning the shotgun but said it had been useless for years because an essential part was missing.

Dr O'Leary said Waldron had a tragic start to life in that his natural mother was an alcoholic who also had other psychiatric problems.

He and his wife took him but he continued to have meetings with his mother but one day she failed to turn up and they discovered she had committed suicide.

Waldron was very insecure and always craved affection. Because of this he often got involved in relationships with older men who were probably not the best role models.

Dr O'Leary said Waldron had been taking drugs since he was in his late teens but had recently taken serious steps to deal with his addiction.

He had the potential to have a good career in hairdressing once he had dealt with his addictions and Dr O'Leary said he was prepared to help him open his own salon.