Tallaght man jailed for string of robberies in 2021

By Eimear Dodd

A man has been jailed for five years for a spate of robberies, which included pulling a TV from the wall of a public area in a Dublin hospital.

Jamie O’Hara (30) pleaded guilty to three counts of robbery and two of attempted robbery on July 8 and 9, 2021, all in the Tallaght area.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that O’Hara of Killinarden Estate, Tallaght, Dublin 24 was at the height of his addiction issues at the time but has not come to recent negative garda attention.

Garda Tara Higgins gave evidence that three friends were sitting in a field when O’Hara approached them on July 8, 2021. He was cycling on a pink bike, wearing a face mask, and asked them for a lighter.

One of the injured parties gave him her lighter from her bag. O’Hara turned away to light a cigarette, then opened his jacket and pulled out a kitchen knife.

He told them not to make a scene and demanded they hand over their belongings. The woman pretended her phone was in her bag. The injured parties were afraid. During the encounter, she managed to take the knife from O’Hara, and her two companions scuffled with him.

O’Hara left the area but stole her Revolut card and an iPhone 11 belonging to her friend and attempted to rob the third person.

O’Hara later attempted to use the woman’s Revolut card at Tallaght Hospital to buy a can of Coca-Cola.

While at the hospital, O’Hara removed a TV from the walls of a public area and left with it. He fled after hospital security approached him.

The next day, O’Hara attempted to steal a backpack from another injured party while she was travelling on her e-scooter.

She started to scream when he pulled her bag, and he told her to shut her mouth. She was terrified. O’Hara then took her e-scooter and left the area. After he was gone, she noticed a Stanley knife on the ground, which he’d had in his possession.

In the final incident, O’Hara approached a woman sitting in a park on the stolen e-scooter and started to chat with her about the pandemic. She was wary but talked to him. O’Hara then told her, “This is what you are going to do now, hand me over your bag or I’ll stab you”.

O’Hara came closer to her and knocked her shoulder. He grabbed her bag, and the woman chased him as he escaped on the e-scooter.

O’Hara dropped her bag while he made his escape, but took her Revolut card, which he later used to attempt to buy €1.49 of goods.

He was identified from CCTV, and when interviewed, nothing of evidential value was obtained. Two victim impact statements were provided to the court and not read aloud.

O’Hara has previous convictions, including for drug offences, theft and robbery.

Gda Higgins agreed with Sarah Jane O’Callaghan BL, defending, that her client was at the height of his addiction during this spate of robberies but has not come to recent garda attention.

Gda Higgins also confirmed she is aware of O’Hara’s family background and his longstanding addiction issues.

The court heard evidence that O’Hara is engaging with community addiction services, has never attended residential treatment, but it is expected a bed will be available for him in the coming weeks.

Ms O’Callaghan said her client’s offending was “egregious” and there were injured parties who had been “traumatised and impacted because of his addictions”.

She submitted to the court that O’Hara’s taking of the TV showed how chaotic his life was at the time and “how out of control he was in his mind and body”.

Counsel said her client has no memory of his actions but acknowledges his behaviour will be “etched” in the minds of the injured parties.

She said O’Hara’s addictions have had an impact on his family and asked the court to consider that he has not recently offended as well as his efforts to address his addiction.

O’Hara has two children and is in a long-term relationship with his partner, who is pro-social, counsel said. A number of letters and other documents were handed to the court.

Ms O’Callaghan asked the court to consider extending her client’s bail to allow him to attend residential treatment, arguing that this was a chance to break his cycle of offending.

Judge Martin Nolan noted the “very attractive” submission made by defence counsel but said a custodial sentence had to be imposed, given the number of offences and O’Hara’s previous record of convictions.

“Everybody makes their own decisions,” Judge Nolan noted, adding that while the court agreed addiction is a problem for O’Hara, he had “committed serious crime”.

“The courts always hope for rehabilitation, but in this case a custodial term can’t be avoided”, due to the serious nature of O’Hara’s offending and the number of incidents, the judge said.

He handed O’Hara a prison term of five years.