Man who robbed betting office with Stanley blade jailed for 18 months

By Claire Henry and Sonya McLean

A man who robbed a betting office while holding a Stanley blade has been jailed for 18 months.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Joseph Collins (26) of Avila Park, Finglas, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty to one count of robbery at Boyles Sports, Finglas, on November 27, 2023.

He has 10 previous convictions.

Judge Orla Crowe acknowledged that Collins is deeply ashamed for the offending against the injured party, is willing to work and has strong family support.

She said there needs to be a custodial element to the sentence given the seriousness of the offence, but said it will be a “structured release from custody” to allow Collins to rehabilitate.

Judge Crowe said it was “a very frightening experience” for the victim and accepted that it was carried out to “feed an addiction that had overwhelmed” Collins.

She noted a report from the Probation Services stating it was willing to work with Collins as he has a strong family support and has access in the community to treatment for his addiction.

“He is going to have to direct his efforts towards rehabilitation so he is not a risk to society in the future,” Judge Crowe continued before she imposed a sentence of three years.

She suspended the final 18 months of that term on strict conditions including that Collins engage with the Probation Service, for two years.

At an earlier sentence hearing, Detective Garda Dwayne O’Brien told Diana Stuart BL, prosecuting, that on the date in question an employee in Boyles Sports began work as normal.

At approximately 7pm, a man who was later identified as Collins entered the shop.

He approached the counter and muttered the word “Money”.

He then produced a Stanley blade from his pocket and put it under the glass of the counter.

The court heard that the blade was one foot away from the injured party’s face.

He told gardai that he was afraid and thought of his child at home and handed over a sum of €280.

Collins left the shop, and the employee closed the shop and contacted the gardai.

Det Gda O’Brien said that gardai obtained CCTV footage from the shop and were able to identify Collins.

He was later arrested and charged.

Det Gda O’Brien agreed with David Fleming BL, defending, that Collins was known to him and agreed that he was like “night and day when he is abusing substances and when he is not”.

The garda agreed with counsel that Collins has a long-standing problem with alcohol and drugs but had entered residential rehabilitation in the past.

Mr Fleming said that his client had asked him to apologise to the injured party and a co-worker who was working on the day in question.

He said Collins is “deeply ashamed of his actions and stated that he is not prone to violence”.

Counsel said Collins “is not someone who is sitting by and taking no action” and stated that he has completed the residential programme at Coolmine Treatment Centre.

He said that when Collins “is sober, he is a productive, active member of society”.

Counsel asked the court to take into account that his client has no history of violence.