Dublin man who invaded elderly man's home and stole €900 jailed for 3½ years

By Aoife Nic Ardghail

A Dublin man who burst into an elderly man's home wearing a balaclava and wielding a knife has been jailed for three and a half years for aggravated burglary.

Sean O'Leary (40) put his hand over the 75-year-old man's mouth as he rifled through his pockets and took €900 in cash.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard the elderly victim did not see a knife in the raider's hand during the incident but gardaí later matched O'Leary's DNA to a blade that had been left on the kitchen table.

O'Leary, of Ferrycarrig Drive, Coolock pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary at Moatview Court, Priorswood on March 31, 2016. He has 28 previous convictions.

Garda Ronan Smith told Monika Leech BL, prosecuting, that the home owner had been making a cup of tea about 9.30pm when his doorbell rang. When he answered the door, he saw a man in a balaclava who then ran into the hallway shouting: “Where's the money?”

The court heard the older man was knocked to the ground and €900 cash was taken from his pocket.

Gda Smith said a neighbour came on the scene after the raider had left and discovered the old man “in bits” crying. He said O'Leary was nominated as a suspect before the knife and balaclava, which was also found nearby, had gone through forensic testing.

O'Leary made full admissions to the crime once his DNA was found to match that on the balaclava and knife. He told gardaí he was very sorry, saying: “I hope the man can find it in his heart to forgive me for what I've done”.

Garda Smith told Ms Leech that the elderly victim had increased anxiety levels and had to move to a nursing home following the incident. He suffered an economic loss from the amount that was stolen and from the cost of adding security features to his house before he had to move out.

Gda Smith agreed with Luigi Rea BL, defending, that his client's guilty plea was a huge relief to the injured party and his family. He further agreed drug abuse had “destroyed” O'Leary.

Mr Rea asked Judge Martin Nolan to be as lenient as he could on O'Leary, who had been seeing a drugs counsellor.

Judge Nolan commented that this was an insidious crime which frightened the victim and had a significant effect on him. He noted that the man was not comfortable in his own house after the incident and had to move out.

He accepted O'Leary was remorseful and had problems of his own. He imposed the sentence with credit to be given for any time in custody O'Leary has spent on the matter.