2018-12-03 · Galway
Armed burglar loses sentence appeal
Dominic Downes, aged 23, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary of a house in Hazel Park, Newcastle, on 24 September 2016. He was sentenced by Judge Rory McCabe at Galway Circuit Criminal Court to six years imprisonment on 18 July 2017. Downes appealed against the severity of his sentence, but the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, holding that the six‑year term was within the range available to the Circuit Court judge. The Court of Appeal, presided over by President Mr Justice George Birmingham, noted that Downes entered the house armed with a hunting knife and a hatchet, both of which had been stolen the day before, indicating premeditation. A bag containing €1,760 worth of stolen property was dropped during the escape, and the burglary caused significant injury to the occupants, including PTSD and a move out of the house. Downes had a history of criminal activity and drug problems, and had committed further offences while on bail.