Failed burglar jailed for 18 months

By Claire Henry

A man who was jailed for 18 months for two attempted burglaries has refused to enter his bond and instead sought to vacate his guilty pleas.

At a sitting of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Stephen Wilson (49) refused to agree to his bond along with the sentence that was handed down to him.

Wilson, who is currently in custody, pleaded guilty on his trial date to two counts of attempted burglary at commercial premises on Mount Street, Dublin 2, on April 24, 2020.

After Judge Orla Crowe sentenced him, he banged on the glass of the defendant’s box and said he wanted to withdraw his plea and wanted a jury trial.

At one stage, Wilson shouted at his legal team, “I want a new trial date, get that into your thick f***ing head. I want a trial. I want a jury.”

Judge Crowe said that her sentence of three years, with the final 18 months suspended, still stood, and she agreed to adjourn the imposition of the sentence until next Friday, May 30.

Detective Garda Joseph Heaphy told Karl Moran, BL, prosecuting, that on the night in question, he was on patrol when he saw a man later identified as Wilson standing in a doorway on Mount Street.

Gardai asked him to identify himself, and unknown to them at the time, he gave a false name. He was searched and had a pair of black gloves and a torch in his possession. He was let go by the gardai.

The court heard that a short time later, gardai were called to a different premises on Mount Street where there had been an attempted burglary. CCTV footage was obtained, and a screwdriver with DNA matching Wilson’s was found a short distance away.

CCTV footage showed Wilson attempting to burglarise two commercial properties using a piece of plastic which the garda referred to as a “glide”. Wilson was unsuccessful in gaining entry to both properties.

Det Gda Heaphy said Wilson was identified on CCTV, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Wilson has 95 previous convictions, including 28 burglary and others for possession of stolen property, failure to appear, criminal damage, possession of knives, possession of articles, and road traffic matters.

The court was told that on the date in question, Wilson went on to burglarise three other properties after gardai stopped him on Mount Street.

Det Gda Heaphy agreed with Patrick O’Sullivan, BL, defending, that his client entered a guilty plea, which was valuable to the gardai.

Mr O’Sullivan said his client had a heroin addiction and was now an enhanced prisoner. The court heard Wilson has spent well over the majority of his life in prison.

Passing sentence, Judge Orla Crowe said Wilson “pleaded guilty on his trial date and that this was not an early guilty plea”. She noted that Wilson has 95 previous convictions; the first occurred when he was thirteen.

Judge Crowe said Wilson “has an endemic drug addiction” and said he was a “chronic offender”.

“I take his willingness to become clean as sincere,” she said.

Judge Crowe sentenced him to three years in prison and suspended the final 18 months for two years. She placed him under probation supervision for one year post-release and backdated his sentence to when he went into custody on this matter.