Brothers with 129 convictions jailed for robbery

Two brothers who stole a car and robbed a news agents have been sentenced to two and half years in prison by Judge Patricia Ryan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Stephen (aged 26) and Christopher (aged 24) Dunne, of St Jarlath Road, Cabra, both pleaded guilty to stealing the black Hoda Civic between July 29 and 30, 2008 and robbing the shop at Ashtown Grove, Navan Road on August 3, 2008. They have a total of 129 previous convictions between them.

Garda James Buckley told prosecution counsel, Ms Karen O’Connor BL, that the brothers entered the shop armed with a bread knife and wheel brace and demanded money from the till clerk.

Christopher Dunne, a former heroin addict with 47 previous convictions, pulled himself over the counter and took €200 cash from the till before he and his brother fled in the stolen car.

Gda Buckley said he was called to the shop after the robbery and identified the brothers on CCTV footage.

He told Ms O’Connor that he was told by colleagues that there was a car on fire in a Phoenix Park car park. It was partially burnt out with a wheel brace in the front passenger footwell, when he arrived on the scene.

He said the owner identified his car later that day and has since received €2,150 insurance company compensation for his destroyed vehicle.

Gda Buckley said he arrested the brothers at their home on August 11, 2008 and both made full admissions to the crimes.

Stephen Dunne, a father-of-two and recovering heroin addict with 82 previous convictions, told gardaí he raided the shop in a “robbed car".

Ms Fiona Murphy BL, defending Stephen, told Judge Ryan that her client has since rehabilitated and is drug free. He has been in 24 hour lockup in prison for his own protection after he was attacked while on remand.

Mr Luigi Rea BL, defending Christopher, said that his client is also now drug free and he too was assaulted while in custody. He has since been transferred to another prison.

Judge Ryan said she had taken into account the efforts the brothers had made to rehabilitate, their remorse and their pleas of guilty before she suspended the last year of the sentence on strict conditions.