Robber threatened taxi drivers with 'aids needle'

A man who brandished a knife to try and rob a woman at her home and later threatened two taxi drivers with what he claimed was "a needle full of AIDS" has been given five years in suspended sentences.

Conor Casey, aged 24, of Seaview, Laytown, Co Meath was heavily under the influence of drugs and alcohol on March 11, 2006 when he knocked on the door of a Blanchardstown house, brandished "a large knife" and demanded all her cash from the woman who answered .

Garda Conor Treanor told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court she slammed the door in his face and friends who were socialising inside with her called the gardai with a good description of Casey.

He arrested Casey shortly afterwards and he apologised for his action, saying his mind wasn’t clear due to his addicted state and he had tried to rob the woman because he "needed to get home to Laytown". Casey was later released from custody on High Court bail.

Judge Desmond Hogan heard that on October 1, 2006 a taxi man was told by Casey that he had "a needle full of AIDS" and was to hand over all his cash, the man jumped out of his car.

Casey followed him but the driver immediately got back into his car, locked the doors and drove off.

Shortly afterwards, another taxi man was told by Casey he was going to a party but didn’t know where it was and would find it if he drove around Castleknock. When the car stopped behind another vehicle, Casey held a syringe to the driver’s neck saying: "Give me all your money or I’ll give you AIDS."

The driver handed over his cash and phone, but both were later recovered when Casey was arrested.

Casey pleaded guilty to attempted robbery of the woman, attempted robbery of the first taxi man at Blanchardstown and robbery of €98 and a mobile phone from the second taxi man at Castleknock. He had eight previous convictions.

Mr Luigi Rea BL, defending, noted that there was no blood in the syringe used by Casey who was now doing very well with the Coolmine Therapeutic Centre and had turned his life around.

Judge Hogan said that everything about this matter "pointed in normal circumstances to custodial, consecutive sentences" but he noted that Casey was remedying his condition and was now working while resident in Coolmine in phase two of the treatment course.

Judge Hogan imposed a two years prison term for the attempted robbery of the woman, and two terms of three years each on the other offences, to run concurrent with each other but consecutive to the two years.

He suspended the sentences on strict conditions under Casey’s own bond to abide by the instructions of the Probation and Welfare Services including addiction treatment.