Courts / Dublin / Report
Homeless men carried out string of office robberies while passing themselves off as maintenance crew
Summary
Two homeless men, Stephen Talbot (42) and Trevor Murphy (38), were found guilty of a series of office burglaries in Dublin 2's business district. Over a month, they posed as maintenance workers, gaining entry with a simple "glide" device and stealing €1,167 in cash, mobile phones, and corporate tickets. Murphy pleaded guilty to 11 counts of trespass and theft between March 21 and April 19, and was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with the final year and a half suspended. Talbot admitted to five theft offences and received a three‑year sentence, back‑dated to April 21. Both men were identified through CCTV and apprehended on April 19 after being seen in Fitzwilliam Square South. The court noted their homelessness and drug difficulties, and highlighted Talbot's extensive criminal record of 67 prior convictions. The judge described the offences as "mannerly burglaries" but acknowledged the disruption caused to the businesses involved.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Homeless men carried out string of office robberies while passing themselves off as maintenance crew. Charges or matters: the burglaries carried out during the space of a month within a small, concentrated area of Dublin 2's business district; 11 counts of trespass and theft between March 21 and April 19 last; possessing a plastic device known as a "glide" to gain entry on March 31 last at Hatch Street in Dublin 2. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- March 21 Incident
- April 19 Incident
- March 31 Incident
- April 21 Incident
- Christmas Other
- 2018-02-01 Publication
Why: Two homeless men dressed in high-vis jackets and passed themselves off as maintenance men in order to commit a string of robberies in city centre offices after hours a court has heard. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: the burglaries carried out during the space of a month within a small, concentrated area of Dublin 2's business district; 11 counts of trespass and theft between March 21 and April 19 last; possessing a plastic device known as a "glide" to gain entry on March 31 last at Hatch Street in Dublin 2 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Talbot was sentenced to three years in prison by Judge Martin Nolan today, backdated to April 21 last.
Convicted Person
Charges: the burglaries carried out during the space of a month within a small, concentrated area of Dublin 2's business district; 11 counts of trespass and theft between March 21 and April 19 last; possessing a plastic device known as a "glide" to gain entry on March 31 last at Hatch Street in Dublin 2 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Hatch Street
- Fitzwilliam Square
- Fitzwilliam Place
- Cloverhill Prison
Topics
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