Anthony Sweeney jailed for McDonald’s robberies

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Anthony Sweeney was jailed for robbery at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 21 April 2020. The proceedings were reported on 21 April 2020.

Sweeney pleaded guilty to robbing McDonald’s in Liffey Valley, Clondalkin, on 5 August 2019 and admitted a second robbery there the following month. He also pleaded guilty to robbing a nail salon on Collinstown Road and a pedestrian on the Liffey Valley footbridge on 27 May 2019.

Judge Melanie Greally imposed a seven-and-a-half-year prison sentence, suspending the final two years. The conditions included following every Probation Service direction for six months before release and 12 months afterwards.

The robberies were aggravated by knife use, including placing a knife against one victim’s throat, and by the final McDonald’s robbery being committed while Sweeney was on bail. Prosecuting gardaí accepted that he was struggling with drug addiction, highly intoxicated and had made admissions after arrest. They also accepted that he cared for his father and had asked to go into custody because of the strain.

Defending counsel Nicola Cox said Sweeney had suffered a brain injury and accepted that he faced a high risk of reoffending. The judge also took account of his guilty pleas, admissions, drug-addiction history, efforts to address it and caring responsibilities.