Convenience store robber remanded on bail

A chronic drug addict who raided four convenience stores and terrified the staff and customers has been remanded on bail pending sentence because of evidence given in court that he has turned his life around.

Bradford Meehan (aged 38) of Stanaway Road, Crumlin, had already served a total of 14 years for two previous robberies in 1998 and 2004, when he robbed over €1,250 from three shops on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Stephen’s Day in 2007.

He was on bail when he raided a fourth shop in April the following year, where he cut a staff member’s little finger with the knife he had armed himself with.

Meehan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the robberies on dates between December 24, 2007 and April 25, 2008. His 34 previous convictions included mainly District Court offences, the robberies and assaulting a garda while he was trying to make an arrest.

Meehan told Judge O’Donnell that he wanted to apologise sincerely to his victims and his family and partner, who he said were also victims of his crime.

"I have had enough of this life I was leading and the damage it has done and I just want to get on with my life now," Meehan told the court. He said his partner lost their child in February 2008 three weeks before she was due to give birth but she is now expecting another baby.

Meehan said that he has attended for drug treatment and is now completely clean. He said he would like to go on and do work in the community with young people to try and help them stay away from drugs.

Judge O’Donnell said the offences "deserved an immediate incarceration" but added that there had been evidence that Meehan had confronted his drug addiction and as such the root cause of his re-offending.

He adjourned the case to next October and ordered an updated probation report for that date.