Homeless man issued threatening note in "bizarre" attempt to get cash

A homeless man pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to demanding money with menaces following an incident at a store in Clontarf on 16 July 2017. Brendan Glynn, aged 31 and originally from Sligo, handed a threatening note to the proprietor demanding €20,000 initially, followed by €2,000 weekly, with threats to burn down the premises. The note instructed the owner not to contact gardaí and stated he was being watched. The proprietor alerted gardaí and Glynn was arrested two days later after being identified on CCTV footage. Garda evidence indicated Glynn had no connection to serious criminality and lacked means to carry out the threats. His defence counsel described the offence as impulsive and bizarre, unlikely to succeed. Glynn, with 46 previous convictions, was dealing with longstanding drug dependency at the time. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to December pending completion of a probation report.