Members of crime gang jailed for “ram raids”

By Niamh O’Donoghue and Sonya McLean

Two members of a Romanian organised crime gang who used cars to ram raid commercial premises have been jailed for a total of ten years.

The men were arrested three weeks later as part of operation ‘Docht’ targeting an organised criminal group responsible for burglaries and high-value vehicle thefts on July 3 and 4 last year.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard last Monday that in one incident, a “dummy car” was rammed through the front window of a phone shop in Dublin city centre. A Vodafone shop in Newbridge was also targeted earlier that night. Later that night, a car was rammed through the gates of a motor dealer on the Naas Road.

The arrests were made as a result of an ongoing intelligence-led operation by the Garda Eastern Region and involving units attached to the Dublin Metropolitan Region, Eastern Region and national units of gardai. The court heard all three men were from Romania.

Ricardo Stancu, Daniel Murgea, and Ionut Leonard Petriu appeared before a sentencing hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Stancu (19) of North Circular Road Dublin, and Murgea (31), also of North Circular Road, pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal damage and organised crime offences.

Judge Orla Crowe sentenced Stancu to five years in prison with the final 12 months suspended. She noted that he was a younger man who had limited previous convictions and said she would suspend part of the sentence to “incentivise rehabilitation”.

Judge Crowe said a headline sentence of eight years in prison was warranted for Murgea before she imposed a sentence of six years having taken into account his “significant history of dishonesty” – referring to Murgea’s previous convictions in both France and Italy for offences involving theft.

Petriu (38) of Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty to assisting the group and his culpability was the lowest of the three, the court heard.

Judge Crowe said Petriu played a different role to Murgea and Stancu. She adjourned his case to March 20 next and ordered the preparation of a probation report for that hearing.

Judge Crowe said the offences before the court were “inherently serious” and said the crimes were committed over two days on three unoccupied commercial premises that had been deliberately targeted in an organised way.

She said it was “ a highly organised crime” and extensive damage had been caused to the properties.

Judge Crowe acknowledged that Murgea and Stancu had been described as “foot soldiers” in the operation.

Each of the accused pleaded guilty on their trial date in October this year and further pleas were entered on Monday. Stancu and Murgea are in custody but Petriu is on bail.

Detective Garda Tom McEvoy gave evidence that gardai received a call to attend the 3 Store in Henry Street after a car crashed into its front window. A silver Mercedes described as a “dummy car” was abandoned there and extensive damage was done to the front of the shop. The gang left with nothing because the mobile phones were kept in a safe.

The “dummy car” – a stolen Silver Mercedes – was also used to smash through the front window of the Vodafone Shop at the Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge just before 2.30am on July 3, 2023.

The next day they rammed a car into Leinster Motors in Clondalkin. They used a Citroen C5 there to break through the gates, then stole a 5-series BMW at 12.30am on July 4, which was later used for their next robbery as a getaway car.

At around 4am they used the “dummy car” – the stolen silver Mercedes – to ram the front window of the 3 Store on Henry Street. Gardai established the vehicle had been used at Whitewater Shopping Centre on July 3, 2023.

Four suspects were ultimately identified from CCTV using a 5-series BMW as a getaway car. Gardai established the car was stolen the same night from Leinster Motors, Clondalkin.

Stancu was not involved in the Leinster Motors incident but was involved in the Henry Street and Whitewater Centre offences.

Det Gda McEvoy told Garret McCormack BL, prosecuting, the total damage to the 3 Store was €49,459 and there was €1,051 worth of damage to stock but nothing was stolen. A further €7,000 was lost from lack of trading following the incident.

The court heard Murgea has no previous convictions in Ireland but has 13 in Italy and three in France for offences including theft, dealing in stolen goods and criminal association.

Stancu has one previous conviction. Petriu has one previous conviction which relates to “paying someone else to do a driving theory test”, the court heard.

The court heard that at the Whitewater Shopping Centre, a silver Mercedes Benz with two occupants wearing gloves approached the front of the shop.

There was extensive damage done to the shop and they broke into store with bags in hands and left with the store till. Apart from the till, no other items were taken in the course of that burglary as the phones were in a safe. €16,000 worth of damage was caused in that incident.

A BMW 5 Series was stolen from the car dealership in Clondalkin and over €4,000 worth of damage was caused to the gates of the dealership.

In the incident at Leinster Motors, damage to the front gate amounted to €1,753 and there was a further €2,700 in damage to the Citroen.

Dean Kelly SC, for Stancu, said his client went back to Romania as a teenager before returning to Ireland. He was put in touch with people and was under pressure to take part.

He said his client was a foot soldier who was taking rather than giving orders. He said a significant amount of damage was caused at Henry Street and the Whitewater Shopping Centre shops plus loss of earnings.

Mr Kelly said a “curious feature” was that nothing was stolen as most of the phones were kept in a safe.

Seoirse O’Dunlaing SC, for Murgea, said his client had shown remorse. He said his client was a Romanian national who was facing a very substantial time in custody. Mr O’Dunlaing said there was evidence he was under the control of other people.

Mr O’Dunlaing said his client was working in the kitchen prison where he is on enhanced status since October 2023. He said a letter handed into court made reference to mental health problems and he is on disability benefit in relation to his depression.

Fergal McMorrow BL, for Petriu, said his client has one previous conviction. He said the father-of-three and is working in a hotel.

He remains in gainful employment and has been promoted to a chef and was described as hard-working, diligent and focused. He came to live in Ireland in 2018 having left Romania 15 years ago.