Brian Clarke jailed for Swords tourist robbery

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

Brian Clarke was sentenced to four years in prison, with the final year suspended, for robbing US tourist Ryan Dillon in Swords Town Park on 2 May 2015. Judge Melanie Greally imposed the sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The proceedings were reported on 25 January 2017.

Clarke pleaded guilty to the robbery. The court heard that he acted as a distraction while an accomplice took the group’s belongings. There was no evidence that he used direct violence.

The report said Clarke posed for photographs as another person stole a camera bag. Dillon pursued the thief and was punched and kicked by a group of youths, suffering a broken scapula. His partner was punched when she tried to intervene.

Garda Mairead Murray said she identified Clarke from photographs on the recovered camera. He was arrested but denied that anything untoward had happened. Defence counsel David Staunton said there was no evidence that Clarke produced a knife or used direct violence.

Judge Greally said she had intended to consider a fully suspended sentence if a probation report was favourable. She said the report was not positive and Clarke had not co-operated with the Probation Service.