Woman to be sentenced after breaking into neighbour’s home after pretending to be police

A woman who broke into her 90-year-old neighbour’s home after banging on his door and pretending to be the police will be sentenced next February.

Michelle O’Leary (31) pushed in the door when the victim came down to answer it and produced a knife while demanding money from him.

She then took €60 from his pocket, dropped the weapon and left.

Garda Kelly Mannion told Diana Stuart BL, prosecuting, that the man was living in a complex for elderly residents and at the time O’Leary was staying in her mother’s apartment next door. She was not supposed to be living there.

The victim was able to identify O’Leary to the gardaí and she was arrested at her mother’s apartment. She made admissions in interview and has been on remand in custody since.

O’Leary of St Peter’s Court, Phibsborough pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to aggravated burglary, production of a knife and making a statement to suggest she was a member of An Garda Siochána on April 15, 2021.

Her 30 previous convictions include offences for robbery, assault and theft.

Judge Melanie Greally adjourned the case to allow her time to consider various reports and remanded O’Leary in continuing custody until February 2, 2022.

Gda Mannion told Ms Stuart that the whole incident happened very quickly and the victim was very frightened by it.

He picked up the knife after O’Leary dropped it and handed it over to gardaí when they arrived.

He has not lived at the house since and his family are waiting to secure him a place in a nursing home. His nephew prepared a victim impact statement for the sentence hearing but it was not read out in court.

Gda Mannion agreed with Patrick McCarthy BL, defending, that O’Leary told gardaí during interview that she was very ashamed of her behaviour and she had a serious drug addiction at the time.

Mr McCarthy said his client was taken into foster care from the age of eight to 14 years old after she was abused as a child.

She began to take prescription drugs to help her overcome the death of two of her brothers a number of years ago which ultimately led to an addiction. She then started to abuse heroin.

Mr McCarthy said his client was extremely ashamed of her actions and apologetic to the victim. He said she “engaged in this behaviour to feed her addiction” and has “a poor recollection of the incident”.