'Damascus conversion’ by youth who took part in ‘burglary spree’ in County Roscommon

A 17-year-old youth who was involved in a ‘burglary spree’ in County Roscommon has been sentenced to three years and three months in detention with the final 12 months suspended.

The juvenile, who cannot be named because of his age, appeared via video link with his mother at his side at his recent sentencing hearing before Judge Kenneth Connolly at Roscommon Circuit Criminal Court.

The juvenile had pleaded guilty at an earlier court hearing to stealing a motor vehicle from BS Exhausts, Cloonyogan, Tulsk, and a burglary at the same premises on August 12th or 13th, 2024.

He also pleaded guilty to burglaries at Daybreak, Knockcroghery, McSharry Brothers Ltd, Coolteige, Fourmilehouse, and the Post Office, Frenchpark, on August 13th, 2024. The pleas were made on a full facts basis. A further charge of the arson of the stolen car by fire at Oran GAA Club was taken into consideration without a guilty plea being made.

At the previous court hearing evidence was given that at 2 a.m. on August 12th, 2024, a BMW car was stolen from a house in Celbridge. The vehicle was used in the commission of the offences before the court and had been found abandoned in Athlone on the morning of August 13th.

The judge heard that the first break-in took place at 1.30 a.m. at Mitchell’s Shop and Post Office, Frenchpark, which was not occupied at the time. CCTV showed three suspects entering the premises, one of whom was the accused, and confectionary goods were taken.

Then at 2.45 a.m. a break-in occurred at BS Exhausts, Tulsk, with the same three individuals being captured on CCTV. The office of the business was ransacked, and tools, including an electric saw, jimmy bar, drills, and an angle grinder, were taken. The tools were later found in the BMW abandoned in Athlone.

The keys of a BMW X5 and two log books were taken. The court heard that this vehicle had been hitched with a trailer, which the suspects had not been able to remove and so another vehicle, a grey BMW worth €25,000, was taken and driven away in convoy with the vehicle taken from Celbridge.

At approximately 4.12 a.m., McSharry Brothers Ltd, Coolteige, Fourmilehouse was broken into, with the suspects gaining entry through a window. The business was also ransacked, with tills taken and between €300-€400 in cash stolen. A rear room in the premises had been “pulled apart” during the burglary.

At approximately 4.37 a.m., the Daybreak, Knockcroghery, CCTV recorded the suspects arriving. They forced entry to the shop, where cash was taken. Also, more than €13,400 worth of cigarettes were taken, as well as vapes worth €2,566.

The court heard that the grey BMW taken from Tulsk was burnt out outside the grounds of Oran GAA. It appeared that it had been crashed beforehand.

The other BMW taken from Celbridge suffered a burst tyre as it entered Athlone, and CCTV of the suspects in Athlone was harvested. It showed two of the suspects changing their clothes and one of them going to a nearby shop and buying bin bags, which they used to bag up some of the stolen items, including the cigarettes. The three suspects then took the 8.30 a.m. train to Dublin where they were captured on CCTV arriving. The BMW was forensically examined and the teenager was subsequently identified. He was arrested and interviewed at Castlerea Garda Station four times, where nothing of evidential value emerged.

During the earlier hearing, the victim impact statement of Mr Luke Mee, owner of Daybreak, Knockcroghery was read into court. He told the court the theft had left a deep impact on his life and business. He said seeing his business ransacked was devastating and he was constantly worried about a reoccurrence.

At the recent court sessions the youth appeared before the judge with the sentencing via video link the following day. The judge said that he would look at the charges in the overall context of a ‘burglary spree’ when sentencing. 

He said that compared to the reports before the court “there has been somewhat of Damascus conversion between the reports and the young man who appeared before the court (the previous day).” He said he was concerned that one of the reports said the defendant “felt a sense of thrill and exhilaration” being part of the group touring the region. 

The judge also reflected on the statement given by Mr Mee which he said “gives a sense of the effects these things have on people.” He continued: “Mr Mee tells the tale of the deep impact it has had. He was left feeling violated and vulnerable. The financial loss is significant but the emotional toll is greater.”

Mr Mee said he is constantly worried and the thought that “they could return to harm him or his employees is always on his mind.” 

The burglary also put a strain on him financially. Mr Mee also said that no one deserves to feel unsafe in their workplace and asked for justice for all business owners, the judge recalled.

He noted there was no recompense by the defendant and that the losses suffered were not only monetary but also psychological.

The court heard that despite his young age the juvenile had 15 previous convictions with a number of matters outstanding. The judge also said that the reports outlined minimum remorse and raised the risk of the intention of reoffending in the future.

“His co-operation has been extremely poor,” he noted, while his co-operation with bail conditions was also poor and he had failed to comply with them. There is a history of substance abuse in relation to cocaine, cannabis and ketamine, the court heard.

He said a more recent report tells “a more positive tale.”

The court heard that he is “doing exceptionally well in a structured environment,” with the judge noting “he wants to be an apprentice and succeed.”

Speaking to the defendant he said: “I truly hope you stay out of trouble otherwise you will ruin your life in detention and other institutions.”

Taking mitigating factors into account he noted the early plea and the age of the youth at the time of offending. He said the premises involved were unoccupied and there was a “a spectre of drugs in the case.” He added the youth’s co-accused were older and “it may be he was looking for salutations from those people and easily led.” 

He further noted “he has set out to rehabilitate himself in recent days,” and also that the accused had completed a number of educational classes. He also gave an undertaking to continue counselling, not to drink alcohol or use drugs and to attend AA and NA.

The youth said he has clearer victim empathy with Judge Connolly adding “every progress has to be applauded.”

The court also heard he is a young man who has had a troubled life with diagnosed and undiagnosed conditions, who appears intelligent but this has not been channelled in the correct manner. He also has a high level of anger.

He wrote a letter of apology to the judge explaining “where he was and where he is now and where he wants to go.”

The judge imposed a sentence of three years and three months overall but suspended the last 12 months. He deducted time served from the sentence. 

He made no recommendation as regards his detention at Obserstown given that the sentence straddles the age of being a juvenile and reaching majority.

He also entered a bond to keep the peace for 18 months following his release and will continue to be under the supervision of the probation services.