Courts / Galway / Report

Armed robber who stole €1.1m in jewellery has sentence cut on appeal

Date
2017-11-02

Stage
Appeal

Primary locality
Galway

County
Galway

Summary

Irmantas Paulauskas, 39, a Lithuanian national with no fixed abode, was convicted of armed robbery of €1.1 million worth of jewellery from Hartmann jewellers in Galway on 11 February 2015. He pleaded not guilty to robbery and possession of an imitation firearm with a silencer. A jury found him guilty and Judge Rory McCabe sentenced him to 14 years imprisonment on 12 May 2016. Paulauskas lost an appeal against his conviction but successfully appealed his sentence. The Court of Appeal, hearing that the robbery involved imitation firearms rather than loaded guns, reduced the sentence to 12 years, discounting one year for the difficulty of imprisonment for a foreign national. The conviction was upheld, the sentence cut, and no further changes were made to the outcome of the case.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Armed robber who stole €1.1m in jewellery has sentence cut on appeal. Charges or matters: robbery of €1.1 million worth of stock from Hartmann jewellers on William Street, Galway city, as well as possession of an imitation firearm with a silencer fitted on the same occasion on February 11, 2015; the offence and were given sentences of eight years imprisonment. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty

When:

February 11, 2015 Incident
May 12, 2016 Incident
2017-11-02 Publication

Why: Paulauskas lost an appeal against his conviction today but successfully appealed his sentence, with the three-judge Court of Appeal holding that a distinction should be made because the robbery involved imitation firearms rather than actual loaded guns. CNI source report

Case subjects

Irmantas Paulauskas

Appellant

Charges: robbery of €1.1 million worth of stock from Hartmann jewellers on William Street, Galway city, as well as possession of an imitation firearm with a silencer fitted on the same occasion on February 11, 2015; the offence and were given sentences of eight years imprisonment (Proven)

Plea: Not guilty

Finding: Found guilty

Outcome: Found guilty; Paulauskas lost an appeal against his conviction today but successfully appealed his sentence, with the three-judge Court of Appeal holding that a distinction should be made because the robbery involved imitation firearms rather than actual loaded guns. He had a significant previous criminal record including an eight-year prison sentence imposed for grievous bodily harm.