Crack cocaine addict robbed five pharmacies near his home

A CRACK cocaine addict who robbed five pharmacies “within a stone’s throw” of his home has been remanded in custody pending sentence next January.

Terrence Mulhall (39) was on bail for one robbery when he carried out the other four. He got a total of €2,135 from the shop tills after threatening staff with a scissors, a screwdriver or a blade. He robbed one pharmacy twice.

Mulhall, of Abbotstown Avenue, Finglas, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of Hickey’s Pharmacy, Cardiffsbridge, Finglas, on December 19, 2014.

He also pleaded guilty to robbery of Llyod’s Pharmacy, also in Finglas, and robbery of Hickey’s Pharmacy on Main Street, Finglas, on March 11, 2015 and April 1, 2015. Two additional charges of robbery were taken into account.

He was arrested following the first robbery when gardaí nominated him as a suspect following fingerprint analysis taken from a print he left behind on a perfume bottle and CCTV footage of the raid. His home was searched and the clothes he wore during the robbery were discovered in his bedroom.

Mulhall made full admissions and was released on bail. He then carried out the next four robberies in the space of three weeks.

He again made full admissions and when gardaí arrived at his home to search it on April 2, 2015, he told them: “I have been expecting you, I know what this is about.”

John Byrne BL, defending, said Mulhall was the victim of a shooting in 2001 and had to have of one of his lungs removed. He suffered from anxiety as a result and was on medication.

Counsel said his client had been seeking help to deal with his crack cocaine habit from his local addiction support team before he was remanded in custody.

Mr Byrne said his client lived in Finglas all his life and accepted that all the robberies occurred in chemists which were “perhaps a stone’s throw from his own home”.

Garda Tom Murray told Tony McGillicuddy BL, prosecuting, that Mulhall’s 76 previous convictions dated from July 1989 to April 2012 and included three for robbery. The remainder were for burglary, theft, road traffic and failing to appear.

He agreed with Mr Byrne that Mulhall told gardaí during interview that he spent all the money on crack cocaine.

Judge Sarah Berkeley adjourned sentencing after hearing evidence and requested a probation report for that date.

Sonya McLean