Heroin addict has sentence extended for armed robbery

A heroin addict who received a five year prison sentence in Naas Circuit Criminal Court on Thurday for robbery, has been jailed for a further six years for armed robbery in Dublin.

A heroin addict who received a five year prison sentence in Naas Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday for robbery, has been jailed for a further six years for armed robbery in Dublin.

Peter Christie (aged 43) of Donaghmore Park, Tallaght pleaded guilty to robbing over €16,800 from a Securicor cash-in-transit worker in Ballyfermot on January 11, 2002.

Detective Garda Pat McDonagh told prosecuting counsel, Mr Colm O’Briain BL in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, that that the Securicor worker had collected money in a box from an ESB office and was returning to the cash-in-transit van, when he felt a nudge from behind.

Det Gda McDonagh said when the man turned around Christie pushed a handgun into his chest and told him to "Drop the box". Christie took the box and ran off.

A motorist who saw Christie getting into a Nissan Micra car shortly after became suspicious of the box and reported the car’s registration plates to the gardaí.

Det Gda McDonagh said Christie led gardaí on a car chase when they tracked down the Nissan Micra but he was caught and taken to Finglas Garda Station for questioning.

Det Gda McDonagh said he found red ink-stained packages of money in notes and coins and an 8mm starting pistol following a search of Christie’s home.

He said a smoke bomb had exploded when the box was opened, covering the money with red dye.

Judge Patricia Ryan asked why there was such a delay in bringing the matter before the court when the incident happened in 2002.

Det Gda McDonagh replied that gardai believed Christie had absconded to England some time after the robbery.

He agreed with defence counsel, Mr Kerida Naidoo BL, that the shotgun used for the robbery was an immitaion firearm and nobody could have been injured.

Det Gda McDonagh agreed that Christie said in his statement that he injected heroin and took tablets on the morning of the robbery and claimed he stole the money to buy more drugs.

He agreed that Christie is a "chronic heroin addict" with a long history of criminality but that in 2001, when he had successfully detoxed from the drug, he was not involved in criminal activity.

Mr Naidoo submitted that because of this "it is clear that he is not a totally hopeless and feckless individual" and that the robbery was "spur-of-the-moment and drug-fueled".

Judge Ryan suspended the final year of sentence.