Courts / Dublin / Report
"Robust" pub customers jeered, made citizen's arrest on toy gun-wielding robber
Summary
In a Dublin pub, Anthony Burns, 43, attempted a robbery on 12 December 2017 using a toy gun. Customers jeered, calling his plastic weapon ineffective, and one struck him with a bottle, causing head cuts. Burns, a crack cocaine addict, took €520 from barman Shay Donnelly. Donnelly, unharmed, expressed relief and sympathy for Burns. Burns pleaded guilty to robbery of the pub, a Subway restaurant, an attempted robbery of Rapeedos, and robbery of a bookmakers shop. Victims included Donnelly, Stacey Ryle, and Katarzyna Filipiak, who feared stabbing and felt threatened. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the last two years of a five‑year sentence, citing Burns' past crime‑free period and the amateurish, desperate nature of the offences. Burns' history includes false imprisonment, robbery, and unlawful car seizure in 2000.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Robust" pub customers jeered, made citizen's arrest on toy gun-wielding robber. Charges or matters: robbery of the pub. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- December 12 Hearing Or Sentence
- December 5 Incident
- November 2000 Other
- 2018-06-13 Publication
Case subjects
Places mentioned
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