Courts / Dublin / Report

Burglar hid himself in shop under renovation

Summary

Ian Browne, aged 44, was jailed for two years after he hid in a Supervalu shop under renovation and stole alcohol, cigarettes and food worth €2,031 when the store was closed. He concealed himself behind building materials, damaged fire doors and attempted to open cash registers, as captured on CCTV. The store manager alerted Gardaí, who found missing spirit bottles and five damaged tills. Browne pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 20 August 2017. He has 94 previous convictions and is already serving a sentence of two years and nine months for another burglary. The court noted his long history of homelessness and heroin addiction, his recent drug‑free period, and his efforts to stabilise himself in custody. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence, suspending the final 18 months to motivate him.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Burglar hid himself in shop under renovation. Charges or matters: burglary and criminal damage at Supervalu, Aston Quay on August 20, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• August 20, 2017 Incident
• 2012 and 2017 Other
• 2018-07-02 Publication

Why: She said that "in order to motivate him" she was going to suspend the final 18 months. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Burglary Drugs Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report