Addict asks judge to allow him join father in Mountjoy

A pair of drug addicts who robbed two friends at knife point while posing as undercover gardai have been jailed by Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

A pair of drug addicts who robbed two friends at knifepoint while posing as undercover gardaí have been jailed by Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today.

Dillon Murphy (aged 21), whose father is serving a life sentence for murder, wept as he was given a two-year sentence with a year suspended and pleaded: "Can I go to Mountjoy, me fathers in Mountjoy?"

His accomplice, Alan Lawless (aged 27) got an 18-month sentence with the final year suspended.

They pleaded guilty to robbery of two friends on Pearse Road, Sallynoggin at April 29, 2006.

Murphy, of Wolfe Tone Avenue, Dun Laoghaire, has 24 previous convictions and has pleaded guilty in the District Court to two burglaries committed since this offence.

Lawless, Sallynoggin Road Upper, Sallynoggin, has 25 previous convictions.

Judge Delahunt said in imposing sentence she was taking into account that this was an offence that had a serious effect on their victim but that they had made early admissions and cooperated with gardaí.

She recommended that Murphy serve his sentence at Mountjoy, but said this was not a matter for the court.

Garda Niall Mullen told Ms Anne Rowland BL, prosecuting, that two men returning home from a shop were accosted by Lawless on a bike who asked did they have any drugs while Murphy pulled out a knife and demanded money from them.

Lawless commented to Murphy: "These guys don't understand we are undercover gardaí." Murphy took a wallet from one of the men while holding the knife close to his chest.

Gda Mullen said they were arrested soon afterwards but questioning had to be deferred until the morning because they were so drunk. They each minimised their role and tried to blame the other during interview.

Mr Patrick Reynolds BL, defending Murphy, said his father had been sentenced to life imprisonment when Murphy was three. He was released on license in 2002 but this was revoked after he committed a drug offence.

Murphy had cooperated with gardaí and expressed remorse. He had begun dabbling in drugs when he was 12 and said "bearing in mind his background it was surprising he did not have more serious convictions".

Mr Reynolds said Murphy had a good work history and this serious offence was "out of character".

Mr Remy Farrell BL, defending Lawless, said this was an "opportunistic crime" that was "executed badly" which "underlines the lack of engrained criminality".

Mr Farrell said Lawless was on a methadone programme but the death of his girlfriend from a drug overdose had retarded his progress. He said Lawless had not come to garda attention since.