Teen avoids jail for assault and robbery of a food delivery person

By Claire Henry

A teenager has been given a two-year suspended sentence for an assault and robbery of a food delivery person.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that a delivery cyclist, who was going toward the Grangegorman area to pick up a delivery, saw a group of youths who went on to assault and rob him.

Dylan Crowley (18) of Turvey Avenue, Inchicore, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and robbery at Grangegorman, Dublin, on February 2, 2021. He was 16 at the time of the offence.

Passing sentence today, Judge Orla Crowe said this was “a very serious assault”, but the court must take into consideration that Crowley was a child when the offending took place.

Judge Crowe said there has been huge damage to the injured party in this case.

The judge said she will take the assault as the principal offence and take the robbery into consideration.

She sentenced him to two years in prison but said, “I will give this young man a chance at life; his reports are favourable and he carried out this offence when he was a child”.

Judge Crowe suspended the two-year sentence in full for three years. She ordered Crowley to remain under the supervision of the probation services for 18 months.

The court heard that the injured party was first struck in the chest with a wooden stick.

He was then struck in the arm, which resulted in him receiving a compound fracture to his arm.

The injured man also had his bike and mobile phone stolen.

Gardai were called, and a description of the group of youths was given, and a short time later, gardai found a group matching this description.

Crowley was later identified and arrested. He was charged after he had turned 18.

The injured party required two surgeries on his arm and had a metal plate inserted.

He was out of work for one year following the assault.

In his victim impact statement, he said: “The attack took everything from me”.

Keith Spencer, BL, defending, handed letters into the court on behalf of his client and also informed the court that as a token of remorse, Crowley had brought €500 to court for the injured party.

Mr Spencer told the court that his client had the possibility of employment which he was keen to take up.

He also asked the court to take into consideration his client’s early guilty plea and his young age at the time of the offence.