By Claire Henry
A man with over 200 previous convictions will be sentenced later this year for a spate of burglaries and criminal damage spanning across Dublin County.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Andrew Cleary (50) of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty on a full-facts basis to multiple counts of burglary, theft, trespass, and criminal damage, and to a single count of aggravated burglary, at various locations across Dublin, including Sandymount, Killiney, Rathgar, Rathmines, and Ranelagh, between October 2024 and July 2025. He has 214 previous convictions.
Three gardai told Ronan Prendergast, BL, prosecuting, of incidents where Cleary entered homes and stole high-value items which he could sell to feed his addiction issues.
The court heard that, in the aggravated burglary at a home in Ranelagh, a man was working from home when he heard his floorboards creaking. The man turned to face the room door and saw a man later identified as Cleary entering the room, shouting, “Give me the money,” while also brandishing a knife.
The man described Cleary as acting erratically and he continued to demand money, all while pointing the knife at the man. The injured party gave Cleary his wallet and was instructed to lock the door and not to come out. The man left the room a short time later and called the gardai.
A victim impact statement from the man was read to the court, outlining the difficulties he has had since the incident, including sleep difficulties and constant checking that his doors are locked.
The court heard of a separate incident that occurred at a home in Killiney, when an alarm company alerted the homeowner that his security alarm had been activated. The homeowner checked his security cameras via an app on his phone and could see two men at his home. One of which was later identified as Cleary.
The windows of two high-value SUVs were smashed, and keys for the home were taken.
The homeowner was watching his home being burglarised in real time and contacted the gardai. When gardai arrived at the home, they apprehended two men, one of whom was Cleary, holding two bags. Gardai entered the home and saw that it had been ransacked.
Four days later, the homeowner identified items recovered by gardai from the bags held by Cleary and his co-accused as items which had been taken from his home.
In total, Cleary entered seven homes. Items such as laptops, phones, alcohol, sunglasses, wallets, jewellery and an iPad were taken. The court heard that most of the items taken were returned to the owners.
All three investigating gardaí agreed with Keith Spencer, BL, defending, that Cleary was stealing items to sell on to feed his drug addiction.
Mr Spencer said his client has been entrenched in drug addiction and had poly-substance difficulties.
Counsel said Cleary is doing well in custody, undertaking courses, and is an enhanced prisoner. He said the root cause of his clients’ offending needs to be explored, and he is currently engaging with services in prison.
He said Cleary had been identified in the past by the Probation Services as someone who needs an intensive supervision regime upon release from custody.
He asked the court to take into account the steps his client is taking while in custody.
Ms Justice Patricia Ryan adjourned this case until October in order to obtain a probation report, urine analysis and a governor’s report.