Ballymun drug addict gets three-year sentence for burglary

A Ballymun drug addict described as having "little victim empathy" has been jailed for three years for burglary and handling stolen goods.

Judge Frank O’Donnell in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court said he refused to believe Paul Hussy’s claims to gardaí that he was drug free saying: "I’m sitting watching you here today and you’re on drugs now if you ever were on drugs."

He suspended the final year of Hussey’s sentence but commented that reports revealed he had "little victim empathy."

Paul Hussey (aged 32) of Forrestwood Avenue, gave jewellery he had stolen from an empty house to his co-accused Brigid Corbally (aged 27), the cash strapped mother of his children, who attempted to sell the goods outside Ballymun Post Office.

Hussey, pleaded guilty to burglary of goods valued at €14,500 on September 9, 2007 and Corbally, of White Acre Close, pleaded guilty to handling stolen property on September 13, 2007.

Garda Shaunagh Gaffney told Ms Maire Torrens BL, prosecuting, that she received a phone call on September 13, 2007 from a homeowner whose house had been burgled earlier in the week to say that a woman was selling jewellery that had been taken from her house outside Ballymun Post Office.

Gda Gaffney said Corbally was nervous when challenged outside the Post Office and agreed to come to the garda station. She asked to go to the toilet and attempted to hide the jewellery in the cistern.

Corbally said she had got the items from her former partner, Hussey, and admitted she knew they were stolen.

Hussey admitted the burglary when arrested. Goods taken from the house were valued at €14,500 and included the jewellery, a 42 inch plasma screen television, a Play Station, a Play Station Portable, a Gameboy, a digital camera, a camcorder, a bag containing hair dressing equipment, two mobile phones and CD’s and DVD’s.

Hussey told gardaí he knew the house was empty after overhearing a conversation. He said he had left some of the items on the street while he was taking others home and when he returned the plasma screen TV was gone.

Gda Gaffney said Hussey had 22 previous convictions while Corbally had no previous convictions.

Mr Breffni Gordon BL, defending Corbally, said she had been in a relationship with Hussey and they had two children. He said she had no alcohol or drug addictions and worked in a restaurant.

Mr Gordon said she had been motivated to make some money for herself and her children and had got "the fright of her life" when confronted by gardaí. He said she was "terrified" by the court proceedings and had co-operated fully with gardaí. He submitted she was unlikely to re-offend.

Ms Maria Lane BL, defending Hussey, said he had a "difficult upbringing" and had begun using drugs at the age of eleven. He received his first conviction at the age of 13 and continued in this vein until the age of 22 when he rehabilitated himself and began working in the construction industry.

Ms Lane said he received no convictions for the next nine years during which he met Corbally and they had their two children. He relapsed into drug addiction when he lost his job last year and was unable to find new work.

She said he was now attempting to deal with his drug addiction and related offending again.