Repeat offender sentenced to eight years for violent Balbriggan burglary

A “revolving-door offender” who was involved in an aggravated burglary in which the victim was tied up, beaten and terrorised for 90 minutes has been sentenced to eight years for this and other crimes.

Vincent Hannon (aged 33) was sitting at home watching television when he suddenly felt something cold against his throat. He had earlier left his back door open because he had burned his dinner.

He turned to find Owen Costello (aged 21) and his accomplice behind him. They tied him to a chair, with his hands bound behind his back and his shoeslaces tied together.

The burglary came to an end 90 minutes later after Costello’s accomplice ordered Mr Hannon into a bedroom, bundled him into a duvet and beat him with a walking stick.

The victim managed to free himself minutes later when the intruders left the room. He locked the door and blocked it. He then stood at the door crying and repeating the “Our Father” out loud as the men tried to force the door down.

They eventually left having stolen the cash and cards from his wallets. They had earlier demanded his PIN number and Costello later withdrew €50 from his account.

Costello and his co-accused burgled an unoccupied hair salon later that night where they stole €140 after gaining access through a back door.

Seven months later, Costello and another man burgled a couple’s home, holding the man of the house hostage while they demanded money. They wrongly believed the couple had a safe in the house and later stole their Nissan Almera having loaded it up with two TVs, a camera, a laptop, €40 and bottles of alcohol.

Minutes later they crashed the car into a wall.

Later that same night the pair tried to break into another man’s home armed with a pointed stick. The man received a blow to the head with a bottle, but managed to defend himself and the attackers ran away.

Costello of Bridge Street, Balbriggan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to aggravated burglary and false imprisonment of Mr Hannon and burglary of the salon, all in Balbriggan on July 1, 2010.

He also pleaded guilty to burglary and false imprisonment of Dominic McQuillan, in Skerries and burglary while armed with a piece of wood and assault causing harm to David Weldon in Rush on January 18, 2001.

Costello has 35 previous convictions which include robbery, theft, burglary, criminal damage and public order offences.

Garda Cliona Mulligan agreed with Mr Dominic McGinn SC, defending, that his client was attacked while in prison and has been left with a permanent visible facial scar. He has been in 23-hour lock-up as a result, only getting out each day for one hour’s exercise.

She also accepted that he has spent much of his life in custody, having first been incarcerated at 13 years old.

Mr McGinn told judge Martin Nolan that when his client was nine years old he was locked into the boot of a car that was then set alight.

He said this had been a very traumatic experience, and although Costello has “enough insight” not to claim that this incident was what led him into crime, he then got in with the wrong crowd and was abusing drugs by the time he was 10 years old.

Mr McGinn said his client has not celebrated a birthday at liberty, since he turned 13.

He referred to Costello as “a revolving-door offender” and said when he is out of jail, “he cannot cope with everyday life outside”, reverts to his drug addiction and re-offends.

Mr McGinn said his client had written a letter to the court in which he stated that one of his greatest regrets is that he has not been a role model to his five younger siblings and has missed them growing up.

He said he has addressed his addiction since his most recent remand in custody and has been clean for nine months.

Mr McGinn said in the letter Costello stated that the attack on him in prison has made him realise what it is like to be a victim of crime.

“Nothing will stop me from turning my life around. I have lost so much of my life to drugs,” Costello wrote after saying that he realises he has effectively “lost the last 10 years of my life”.

Judge Nolan said that he expects Mr Hannon must have thought “his end was nigh” and said it was a reasonable thought considering the fact he had been terrorised in his own home for 90 minutes.

He said although the second burglary was less violent, Costello and his accomplice had invaded a citizen’s home and terrified the McQuillans. He added that Mr Weldon was lucky he was able to defend himself.

Judge Nolan suspended the last two years of an eight-year sentence having taken into account Costello’s guilty pleas, co-operation with the gardaí and remorse.

He described Costello as a “menace to society” but acknowledged garda evidence that “in the absence of drugs he is a different man”.

In further evidence, Gda Mulligan told Mr Roughan Banim BL, prosecuting that Costelloe and his accomplice, terrorised Mr Hannon, while they ransacked his home, breaking down doors, in an attempt to steal his property.

They went through his pockets, took all his cash and cards but left him with an engraved Claddagh ring after he told them it had sentimental value.

At one point during the raid Mr Hannon thought the intruders had left and having managed to only free his hands, he shuffled towards his front door.

He was greeted by Costello’s accomplice who directed him to a bedroom where he bundled him into a duvet and beat him with a walking stick.

The raiders then left the room and Mr Hannon freed himself and managed to lock the door. They fled after trying unsuccessfully to regain access to the bedroom.

Gda Mulligan said Costello’s apartment was above the hair salon and Mr Hannon’s bank cards as well as a cash box from the salon were later found there after a garda search.

He was arrested and made full admission in the subsequent interview.

Gda Mulligan agreed with Mr McGinn that Costello was the less violent of the two men and it was his accomplice who had been armed.

She accepted that it had been Costello’s idea to let Mr Hannon keep the Claddagh ring.

Sergeant Liam Donoghue told Mr Banim that one the raiders apologised to Mr and Mrs McQuillan saying that he needed the money to pay off a debt.

He said that Mr Weldon had been left with bruising to his face and a cut to his cheek as a result of his struggle with Costello and his accomplice.