Robber leaves trail of green dye after stealing an empty cash-in-transit box

By Isabel Hayes

A robber who stole an empty cash-in-transit box at knife-point left a trail of green dye leading to his mother’s flat across the road after he tampered with it, a court has heard.

Leon Byrne (27) engaged in an “unsophisticated” operation when he robbed the tamper-proof box from a Brinks security guard at a Dublin petrol station in February 2022 before bursting it open, leaving identifying green dye in the wake of his escape, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

The box had no cash inside as the security guard was about to empty an ATM at the garage, Detective Garda Jason Weir told Kate Egan BL, prosecuting.

A number of weeks later, Byrne, of Reuben Walk, Dublin 8, hijacked a taxi with a sawn-off shotgun and was jailed for seven and a half years.

He has 76 previous convictions including assault, aggravated burglary, drugs and theft.

Jailing him for the cash-in-transit robbery offence, Judge Pauline Codd said she would impose a sentence on Byrne that was consecutive to the one he is currently serving.

She handed down a four year sentence, but suspended the final two-and-a-half years, noting she must be aware of the totality of the sentences imposed.

It means Byrne will serve a further 18 months on top of the sentence he is currently serving.

He has been in custody since March 2022.

He pleaded guilty to one count of robbing a cash-in-transit box with a value of €3,000 at Maxol garage on Crumlin Road on February 17, 2022.

Det Gda Weir told the court that the Brinks security guards arrived at the garage around 6.20am on the day in question.

One of the guards was exiting the van with an empty cash box in his hand when he saw Byrne leaning on a wall nearby.

The guard decided Byrne was not a risk and was just stepping out of the van when Byrne ran towards him brandishing a kitchen knife and screaming: “robbery.”

The guard jumped back in the van and a brief struggle ensued as he tried to close the door on Byrne.

However, Byrne pointed the knife towards his stomach and the guard gave him the box.

Byrne fled the scene to his mother’s apartment across the road.

Investigating gardaí saw a splash of green dye in a stairwell of the block of flats across the road and followed a trail of ink to just outside Byrne’s mother’s apartment, where a knife was found outside.

A search warrant for this apartment was obtained and green dye was found within the apartment and on clothing inside.

The box was secured with a green dye tamper-proof device, the court heard.

A neighbour told gardaí he saw a man throwing the box away.

It was never recovered.

Byrne was arrested the following month after he hijacked the taxi.

A victim impact statement by the security guard was handed into court, outlining how he took six weeks off work after the robbery and continues to suffer with psychological issues, paranoia, insomnia and stress.

Defence counsel submitted this was “not a sophisticated offence”.

“There was literally a trail from the incident itself over to the location of his mother’s flat,” she said.

The court heard Byrne had a difficult upbringing marred by violence and drug addiction, with both his parents being heroin addicts.

He lacks coping skills and has been institutionalised from years spent in custody, the court heard.

Sentencing Byrne yesterday, Judge Codd said she hoped he would take up available psychological supports in custody.

“He has had a very traumatic upbringing,” she said, adding that Byrne needs therapy to help resolve his issues and end the cycle of offending.