A Dublin father with 228 previous convictions has been sentenced to two years and nine months after he held up a Circle K on the Dundrum Road with a knife.
Lee O’Brien (39) of Reuben Walk, Rialto, Dublin 8 committed the offence on the 3rd of March 2021, which the court heard was only days before he committed a separate offence of burglary for which he was sentenced to five years in 2022, with six months suspended.
The accused also appeared before Dublin District Court this week in order to finalise 48 separate matters, Judge Orla Crowe heard.
Sergeant Donal Tully of Garda Headquarters gave evidence in relation to the robbery of the Circle K wherein the accused entered the station and produced a knife while demanding money from a female employee, telling her he “wasn’t being funny” before the frightened worker handed over cash totalling €350.
The accused took a trial date in relation to the offence before he later failed to appear on the hearing date before he was arrested on a bench warrant.
The injured party, a Ms. Keenan, left her job after the incident, which was described as a “frightening experience”, and is now living overseas.
After O’Brien, who has children aged 21 and 19 years, ran from the service station, he changed his at a nearby apartment complex before he left on a bike, and discarded the clothes he had been wearing in a rucksack behind a tree.
Gardaí were able to locate the discarded belongings after the accused was found on CCTV, before the items were submitted to Forensic Science Ireland for examination.
A DNA sample which matched with the accused was found on a cap and hoodie in the rucksack, while Gardaí were able to match the clothing to what O’Brien had been wearing on CCTV.
Although the offence took place in 2021, the court heard proceedings were delayed due to covid lockdowns.
O’Brien also has 5 Circuit Court convictions for robbery, 7 for production of an article, 37 for failure to appear before the courts, 4 for theft, 6 for possession and handling of stolen property, 1 for production of an article in the course of a dispute, 17 for unauthorised taking of a vehicle, 7 for endangerment, 20 for dangerous driving, 1 for a hit and run, 11 for driving with no licence, 3 for driving while intoxicated, 28 for minor road traffic offences, as well as numerous convictions for possession of drugs.
He has 15 Circuit Court convictions, six of which are for robbery.
Defending counsel, Karl Monahan BL argued that his client had a difficult upbringing and was one of six children.
After playing truant at school he was sent to an industrial school but started using coaine at the age of 16 before moving onto heroin.
He began to steal to feed his habit, Mr. Monahan said.
Judge Crowe said that the offence “deliberate and organised” and that it was a “deeply frightening experience” for the injured party.
She said Ms. Keenan was working for “minimum wage” and “ doing a service for everyone”, and that the Gardaí were to be commended with their handling of the case.
The court noted that taking of a bench warrant in relation to the matter as an “aggravating factor”.
Noting that the maximum sentence for robbery is life in prison, the court set a headlong sentence of five years before passing a sentence of 3 years and 3 months, before suspending the final 6 months.
The accused must engage with the probation services for a period of one year on his release in order to “facilitate his rehabilitation”.