Aggravated burglary in the bedroom of a five-week-old baby and parents

By Natasha Reid

A man has been sentenced to five and a half years in prison for an aggravated burglary in the bedroom of a five-week-old baby and its parents while they were sleeping.

He also received a concurrent four-and-half-year sentence for the armed robbery of his local credit union in which he threatened to kill two customers.

Lee Conlon of Meath Place, Thomas Street in Dublin had pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary with a large kitchen knife at an apartment on Montague Street in the city on 22^nd November 2022.

The 46-year-old also pleaded guilty to the robbery of Capital Credit on St Luke’s Avenue in the city on 16^th January 2013. He further pleaded guilty to threatening to kill or cause serious harm to two customers, one of whom was 83 years old, on the same occasion.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that in the first incident, gardai were called to an apartment at 2.30am, where they met a couple and their infant.

The couple was upset.

They said they had gone to sleep with their five-week-old baby and had woken to find Conlon at the bottom of their bed.

He was reaching for a mobile phone on a locker.

The infant’s father jumped out of bed and tackled the intruder out of instinct.

He pushed the intruder into the hallway, where Conlon lost his balance and fell against a door.

At this stage, the new father could see that the intruder was carrying a large kitchen knife in his hand, and that a large scratch had been left on the door.

Conlon fled and took with him items to the value of almost €600, including handbag, wallet headphones, sunglasses, bank cards and the couple’s identification and a key to their apartment.

Conlon had not brought the knife with him, but had found it in the family’s home.

In the other incident, Conlon entered the credit union with a handgun and threatened to shoot while demanding cash.

His face was fully covered, but he was identified after CCTV footage from about 90 premises was viewed.

He called the teller a f***ing b*tch, and said he would shoot the two customers, who were waiting, one of whom was 83 years old.

He pointed the gun at her, then at them, and then back at her, while demanding 50s. All were terrified that he would do so.

The teller started throwing money onto the counter and managed to press the panic alarm.

Conlon took €1,200 off the counter and ran out the front door.

Conlon has 111 previous convictions, going right back to the Children’s court.

He is currently serving a seven-and-a-half-year sentence for similar offences, with a release date in 2029.

His barrister told the court that he had a very difficult background, had been using heroin since the age of 15 and had spent most of his adult life in custody.

Judge Sinead Ni Chulachain imposed a sentence of five and a half years on the aggravated burglary, and four and a half years for the credit union offences.

She said they should be served concurrently with each other but consecutively with the sentences he’s already serving.

She then suspended the final 4 and a half year on a number of conditions.