Man jailed for burglary-related crimes
He appeared before Judge Kenneth Connolly at a sitting of Longford Circuit Court. Pic: iStock
A man has been jailed for his burglary-related crimes committed in 2024 across a number of counties, mainly in the west.
Edward Connors (30), with an address of Drumcairn Park, Tallaght, Dublin 24, appeared before Judge Kenneth Connolly at a sitting of Longford Circuit Court, where he was jailed for two years and six months.
He was initially charged with participating in a criminal organisation with regard to a burglary spree in rural villages across a number of counties, including Roscommon, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Tipperary and Kildare. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions agreed to enter a nolle prosequi on that charge as there was “nothing to associate him” with the actual burglaries.
Following that change to the indictment, Mr Connors, who had initially opted for a jury trial, pleaded guilty in January to two charges of handling stolen property, and one charge of possession of articles connected with burglaries or thefts, with all charges pertaining to November 29th, 2024.
In April of this year, co-accused Edward ‘Ned’ Connors (51) and his son Larry Connors (30), both of Bridgeview, Cloverhill Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 2, were sentenced to nine years and six years imprisonment respectively.
Prior to sentencing, Edward Connors Senior had pleaded guilty to involvement in two burglaries at pubs in counties Sligo and Tipperary. He also pleaded guilty to charges of criminal damage, handling stolen property, possession of articles used to commit burglaries or thefts, and participation in criminal organisation.
On the same day, his son, Larry Connors, pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary in Dysart, County Roscommon on November 29th, 2024, where a large sum of cash was stolen. The cash was not recovered.
The court heard that, on November 29th, 2024, Edward Connors Junior was a front seat passenger in a car, driven by his uncle, Edward Connors Senior, with his cousin, Larry Connors, in the back seat, when the vehicle was intercepted and stopped by the Garda Emergency Response Unit.
A number of items were discovered in the vehicle, which had false plates, including jewellery stolen from homes in Galway and Mayo, and a number of break-in tools, such as torches, a pry bar, pliers, a heavy-duty axe, screwdrivers, a vehicle refuelling kit, a signal interference device to block nearby Garda radio communications, surface disinfectant and two sets of vehicle registration plates not matching the chassis number of the vehicle.
Edward Connors Jnr, who has been in custody since November 2024, is currently serving a six-year prison sentence handed down in May 2025, with the final year suspended, the court heard. That sentence was for burglary and possession of articles in 2017.
He was on bail for that burglary at the time of the offences before the court, meaning his sentence was to be consecutive to the sentence he is already serving.
Mr Connors has some previous convictions, Judge Connolly noted - “not many, but serious, one being the burglary in 2017”. He failed to answer his bail in that case and a bench warrant was issued in November 2019, but he remained at large until November 2024.
Judge Connolly opted to sentence Mr Connors on a global basis, setting a headline sentence of four years, which he mitigated down to three years, noting a plea of guilty, the fact he’s a family man, as well as good behaviour in prison and a positive probation report.
Noting the sentence would be consecutive, he said it would be “only slightly” disproportionate, and reduced it to one of two years and six months, to be served on the expiry of the current sentence.
He then proceeded to give credit of 175 days for time spent in custody between his arrest in November 2024 and his sentence in May 2025. He also directed probation supervision post-release for a period of 18 months.
He made a forfeiture order in respect of the vehicles that were seized, or a destruction order if they were damaged beyond economic repair when intercepted by gardaí. A destruction order was also made for the paraphernalia recovered in the vehicle, and the stolen jewellery is to be returned to the rightful owners.
Published as part of the Court Reporting Scheme.
