Jailed for “serious robbery and assault”

By Claire Henry

A young man has been sentenced to three years in prison for assault and robbery.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Morgan Devlin (21) of Cushlawn Way, Tallaght, Dublin 24, pleaded guilty to one count of robbery and one count of assault causing harm on May 8, 2022, on the Sean Whelan Road in Dublin. He has six previous convictions.

Passing sentence yesterday, Judge Martin Nolan said, “This is a serious robbery and assault.”

He noted that the injured party sustained a very serious injury which extended very close to his femoral artery.

Judge Nolan said he must take into consideration the sentences handed down to the other co-accused in this case.  He sentenced Devlin to three years in prison.

Garda Nicola O’Connor told Rebecca Smyth, BL, prosecuting, that the injured party was walking from the Square in Tallaght on the Sean Walsh Road when he was struck from behind by three males.

Devlin was the first to approach the injured party, but the court was told he was the least culpable of the three.

The injured party was punched several times and fell to the ground. A co-accused who was in possession of a knife stabbed the injured party in the upper leg.

The injured party heard one of the males saying, “take the money”, but he then fell unconscious.

Gda O’Connor said the injured party’s mobile phone, worth €350, fell from his pocket, and the males took it and ran away.

While leaving the scene, a co-accused dropped his own phone, which was recovered by the injured party.

The males then returned, and one of the co-accused punched and bit the injured man.

The court heard that the injured party managed to raise that alarm, and gardai and an ambulance arrived.

He was taken to Tallaght hospital, where he had three wounds to the back of the head, which required ten staples, and a large wound to the thigh, which was very close to his femoral artery.

He also had a bite wound. CCTV footage was obtained, and Devlin was identified, detained and interviewed.

One of the co-accused, who was a minor at the time of this offending, was earlier sentenced by Judge Nolan to five years in prison with two and a half years suspended.

This sentence also included a second robbery offence carried out on a separate date.

Gda O’Connor agreed with Sarah Jane O’Callaghan, BL, defending, that once both the defence and her client were furnished with the CCTV footage, a guilty plea was entered.

The garda agreed with counsel that Devlin was the least culpable of the three males and had no weapon.

Ms O’Callaghan said her client’s background is “simply horrendous” and was born to a mother who was addicted to crack cocaine. 

Counsel said her client has never been to prison but knows that he is going to prison today.

She said that he can’t supply urine for analysis as he is still using drugs at present.

She said he is aware of what is ahead of him and asked the judge to be as lenient as possible.