Brother of Mulhall sisters jailed for robbery

The eldest brother of convicted killers, Charlotte and Linda Mulhall, has been jailed for robbing two shops at knifepoint for money for food for his children and the children of his jailed sister Linda.

James Mulhall (aged 35) of Ardmore Walk, Tallaght was trapped for a time in the second shop after the panic alarm was activated and automatically locked the door before he succeeded in escaping.

He told gardaí he carried out the raids because he was desperate for money for his own two children and for Linda’s four children whom he took on after she was jailed for 15 years for the manslaughter of Farah Swaleh Noor. His other sister, Charlotte, is serving life for murdering Mr Noor.

Mulhall pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of €1,450 and €620 in cash from the shops in Fortunestown Lane and Belgard Square West, both in Tallaght, on February 14 and 18, 2007. He eight previous convictions.

Garda Pauline Glennon told Ms Marie Torrens BL, prosecuting, that Mulhall held a knife to a cashier in the second crime as she was giving a customer change from the till. He threatened her he would "f***ing kill you" if she moved and ran towards the door after grabbing the cash from the register.

When the employee pressed the panic alarm and trapped him inside, Mulhall kicked at the door and shouted he would kill somebody if they didn’t let him out before he managed to force it open and make his escape.

Judge Katherine Delahunt jailed Mulhall for four years. She said the crimes were committed "in rapid succession over a couple of days" and that the use of the knife to threaten the staff had left Mulhall’s victims "very traumatised".

She accepted he was in financial difficulties at the time but added that although this would serve as an explanation for his motivation behind the crimes, it could not be accepted as an excuse.

"Any person with very significant social problems does not just go out and rob stores," Judge Delahunt said.

Mulhall was jailed for five years in April by Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court for his role in robbing two prostitutes in Dublin apartments.

Mullhall, and an accomplice, Paul Draper (aged 30) of Fortunestown Close, Tallaght robbed €800 cash and nine mobile phones from the first prostitute at Isolde’s Towers Apartments, Lower Exchange Street, near Dublin city centre and €250 cash, one Apple iPod and five mobile phones from the second victim at The George, Charlotte Quay, Ringsend.

He also was jailed for three years in May 2004 by Judge Frank O’Donnell after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Mr Tony O’Brien (aged 52) on January 11, 2002. Mr O’Brien was a back-seat passenger in the car Mulhall was driving at the time.

Mr Eoin Hardiman BL, defending, told Judge Delahunt that his client’s father committed suicide in recent years and both his sisters were serving "a long sentence".

He said Mulhall had robbed the two shops "purely out of a financial need and because he was desperate for money". His social welfare had recently been cancelled and he was responsible for six children at the time.

Mr Hardiman said Mulhall had been imprisoned as an older teenager where he learned to both read and write. He had remained out of trouble for "a longish period" after his release from prison before he started re-offending again. Mulhall also had an alcohol addiction.