Criminal caught for burglary 13 years ago after change in DNA sharing procedures

A man with a Roscommon address has been sentenced following a burglary in Dublin over a decade ago. Tomasz Bebenek, aged 34, of Harbour Road, Tarmonbarry, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to trespass and theft at a residence in Rathgar on 15 March 2010. He took two laptops, a camera, a camcorder and a music device valued at €1,080, none of which were recovered. Blood evidence left at the scene remained unmatched until 2019, when changes to European DNA sharing procedures enabled An Garda Síochána to identify Bebenek through a UK database match. Judge Martin Nolan imposed an 18-month sentence, backdated to September 2022. The court heard Bebenek has 44 previous convictions and is currently in custody pending a European Arrest Warrant relating to matters in Poland.