Love/Hate actor jailed for two separate raids in one day

Sonya McLean

An actor who appeared on the Irish crime drama series Love/Hate has been jailed for four years for attempting to rob a café and later robbing a till from a convenience store.

Leroy Harris (32) was stopped by gardaí and ultimately arrested for his own safety after he was spotted in Dublin city with his hands covered in blood.

It was later discovered that he had just robbed a convenience store while armed with a broken pint glass.

Earlier that same evening Harris had squeezed under the shutters of a Dublin café, after the owner was trying to shut up for the day, in an attempt to rob it. He had swung a wine bottle at the owner but the man managed to push Harris out and Harris fled the scene.

Harris of Mariner’s Port, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to attempted robbery of Flower and Bean Café on Cork Street, Dublin 8.

He also came forward on signed pleas from the District Court in relation to robbery and production of a broken pint glass at Day Today on Bachelor’s Walk, on March 10th, 2025.

Garda Aidan Doyle told John Gallagher, prosecuting, that Harris twice told the owner of the café “this is a robbery” before he swung a wine bottle at him.

The owner managed to grab Harris’s wrist and although he didn’t manage to get the bottle off him, he forced him out of the café.

The victim was concerned for the safety of his wife and child who were in the café with him at the time.

He told gardaí that Harris appeared intoxicated.

Harris was later arrested and when shown CCTV footage of the attempted raid, he identified himself and made full admissions.

Harris has 29 previous convictions for offences including road traffic, theft and fraud, public order and breach of bail.

Garda Hannah McEvoy told Gallagher that she stopped Harris later that evening in the city centre as his hands were covered in blood.

She said he was “a bit uncooperative” when he was asked what had caused the injury, so she arrested him out of concerns for his own welfare.

She later learned that the second robbery had taken place, during which Harris had fled from the shop after robbing a till that contained €321 in cash.

Staff from the shop chased Harris and ultimately got the till from him but the cash was not able to be used as it was covered in Harris’s blood.

David Perry, defending, said that Harris is deeply embarrassed, ashamed and remorseful for his actions on the day.

“He is extremely taken back with how he behaved,” Perry said.

He said his client had “a fragmented and turbulent relationship with his father” which impacted his childhood.

He began acting as a young child and ultimately secured a role on Love/Hate.

“He was acting at a high level and living out his dream,” Perry said but he added that Harris began to struggle with his mental health, which resulted in a period of inpatient treatment in 2019.

Perry said Harris resorted to abusing alcohol when he found life difficult. He moved away from acting and began to work in different jobs.

Perry said that on this particular day Harris had taken a “tranquiliser type” tablet along with alcohol.

He submitted that Harris had never previously engaged in this type of criminality, pointing out to the court that he had no convictions for robbery, assault or productions of weapons prior to these offences.

Counsel submitted his behaviour on the day was “out of character” and asked the court to accept his client’s remorse.

“He wished these matters never happened,” Perry said. He said Harris spent some time on remand in custody but since securing bail he has remained out of trouble and is both alcohol and drug free. Harris has one daughter and twin boys.

Judge Elma Sheahan accepted that Harris has not come to garda attention since, is remorseful and acknowledged the testimonials handed into the court on his behalf.

She further accepted that he co-operated with gardaí and entered guilty pleas.

Judge Sheahan noted that Harris had a history of employment, had issues with his mental health and the impact a custodial sentence will have on his current partner and young children.

She said because the two offences before the court “were separate matters that caused harm to different parties” she was going to impose consecutive sentences.

Judge Sheahan imposed a total sentence of five years in prison. She suspended the final 12 months of that sentence on strict conditions for a period of 12 months.