Today in court

Dublin People 19 Feb 2020

By Brion Hoban

A father-of-one who stole a phone from a student while he was being attacked in a fast food restaurant has been jailed for 18 months.

Aidan Keane (22) of Ardmore Court, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery at McDonald's restaurant, Grafton Street, on April 3, 2019.

Garda Ruth Finnegan told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that in the early hours of the morning on the date in question, then 20-year-old student Kieran Flynn entered the restaurant with his friends.
Mr Flynn went to the bathroom area in the restaurant's basement and entered a cubicle. After a few minutes a man started banging on the door shouting “Gardaí, open up”.

When he opened the door, an unknown man grabbed Mr Flynn and put him into a “chokehold” while Keane went through his pockets. Keane grabbed the victim's mobile phone and ran from the scene.
He remained in the area and was found with the phone when approached by gardaí. He told gardaí he had been in McDonald's with a man who gave him some tablets and he had picked up the mobile phone from the ground after it fell out of the victim's pocket during the robbery.

Keane has 27 previous convictions. He received a sentence of seven years’ imprisonment with three-and-half years suspended for offences of robbery, assault causing harm, production of an article and threats to kill or cause serious harm in April 2015. He was 17 at the time of these offences.

Following subsequent convictions for possession of drugs for sale or supply, possession of knives and trespassing, 20 months of the suspended portion of the sentence was reactivated and he returned to prison.
Gda Finnegan agreed with Oisin Clarke BL, defending, that the other man involved in this robbery has not been brought to justice.

Mr Clarke said that while his client was in custody following the 2015 offences, the only person who visited him was his best friend. He said that this person was killed in a car crash and his client dealt with this by taking drugs.

He said his client has been clean of drugs since May 2019 after going “cold turkey” and he intends to get a qualification while in custody. He said Keane has a 14-month-old son.
Judge Melanie Greally said it was clear that Keane did not set out on the night to rob anyone. She said she took into account the efforts he has made in prison to improve himself and remain drug free.
She sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment, but suspended the final 18 months of the sentence on strict conditions.

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By Brion Hoban

A man was caught hiding bags of cannabis inside a punching bag in his parent's home, a court has heard.

James Brady (25) of Donaghmede Road, Donaghmede, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of cannabis for sale or supply at his address on September 29, 2017. Garda James Mulhern told Noel Devitt BL, prosecuting, that gardaí attended the accused's address where he lived with his parents to execute a search warrant. Upon encountering Brady, he informed them that he had a bag of cocaine on his bedroom windowsill.

Gda Mulhern said gardaí found several bags of cannabis, including a large bag of cannabis found inside a tracksuit top that was hanging in his wardrobe and two bags of cannabis found inside a punching bag. The total value of the cannabis was €4,492.

In interview with gardaí, Brady said he was asked to hold the cannabis and was also selling some of it to his friends. He said he was not receiving money for holding the drugs but was instead being paid in cannabis.
Gardaí accepted that the cocaine, which had a value of €40, was for Brady's personal use.

Brady has five previous for possession of drugs. Following a conviction in 2019, he received a sentence which was suspended in full on condition he engage with the Probation Services.

Gda Mulhern agreed with Jennifer Jackson BL, defending, that her client's sister died in 2012. He agreed that after this Brady began using cannabis.

Judge Melanie Greally said she wanted to see how Brady progressed with the probation order already in place and indicated she would impose a non-custodial sentence if he complies well with the regime. She adjourned the matter to April 30 next.

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