Courts / Dublin / Report

"Foaming at the mouth" robber used homemade machete

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 7 November 2018, Karl McDermott, aged 21, was sentenced to five and a half years' imprisonment, with the final 12 months suspended, for a robbery at Dunnes Stores on 25 May 2018. McDermott used a homemade machete‑type weapon that his brother, a metal fabricator, had constructed for a Halloween costume. The weapon was described as a long silver knife with a padded handle covered in tin foil, and was found in the back of a drawer at the family home. McDermott pleaded guilty to robbery and the production of the homemade machete. He had 45 prior convictions, including robbery, possession of knives, criminal damage, violent disorder and drug offences. The court noted that McDermott had been taking tablets and alcohol, and that he had been struggling mentally. The judge accepted his early guilty plea but emphasised that the weapon was capable of serious injury.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: "Foaming at the mouth" robber used homemade machete. Charges or matters: robbery and production of a handmade machete at Dunnes Stores, Cardiffsbridge Road, Finglas, on May 25, 2018. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• May 25, 2018 Incident
• 2018-11-07 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report