Three years for taxi getaway thief

A robber who used a taxi from a nearby rank as his getaway car has been given a three-year suspended sentence by Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Glen Boyle (aged 23) with an address at Swan’s Nest Avenue, Kilbarrack, pleaded guilty to robbery of Xtravision in Donaghmede on January 23, 2008. He had 37 previous convictions which were all dealt with in the District Court.

Judge Delahunt said the offence represented "a serious step up the ladder in criminal activity" for Boyle considering his minor previous convictions.

She accepted that a probation report before the court stated that the service was willing to engage with him and was impressed by the way he had tried to turn his life around.

Judge Delahunt told Boyle the court was "willing to assist you in your rehabilitation" considering the way he had dealt with the case before she suspended the sentence on condition that he attend for both alcohol and drug treatment and liaise with the probation service.

Garda Ciaran Devine told Ms Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that Boyle was one of two raiders who stole €400 from the shop. They also demanded iPods from the staff but they were out of stock.

The staff were later able to describe the taxi that the robbers had left in.

Gda Devine agreed with Mr James Dwyer BL, defending, that all of Boyle’s previous convictions related to his abuse of both alcohol and drugs.

Mr Dwyer told Judge Delahunt that his client was an apprentice plumber who had "gone off the rails" after he started taking drugs. He said he had since started to deal with his addiction.