Man who robbed pizzeria with chainsaw-wielding accomplice avoids jail

A 25-year-old man has received a fully suspended sentence for his involvement in an armed robbery at a pizzeria in Tallaght in September 2015. Craig Dempsey, now resident in Achill, County Mayo, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing Apache Pizza in Oldbawn Shopping Centre, where approximately €2,535 was taken. He also admitted robbing a Spar store in Ballycullen in July 2015 while producing a broken bottle. The court heard that Dempsey and an accomplice, who carried an electric chainsaw, entered the pizzeria in the early hours demanding money. Judge Melanie Greally imposed consecutive sentences totalling six years, fully suspended for three years. The judge noted that Dempsey's principal risk factors, including cocaine use and association with antisocial peers, had been addressed. The court was informed that Dempsey had relocated to Mayo to distance himself from negative influences and was now caring for his unwell mother.