Courts / Dublin / Report

10-year sentence for "profoundly frightening" burglary

Summary

Kenneth Locke, 29, of Ballyfermot, was sentenced to ten years' imprisonment, with the final two and a half years suspended, for burglary with a plank at Cloverhill Road on 1 April. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Locke was extremely intoxicated, having taken thirty‑forty Xanax tablets that day, and had 127 prior convictions. The burglary occurred a little over a month after his release from an eight‑year sentence for aggravated burglary, of which two years were suspended. The court heard that a pregnant woman, her partner and two young children were awakened by an intruder screaming and banging on their bed with a plank, an event described as "profoundly frightening." Judge Melanie Greally noted the lasting loss of security for the family and the presence of a pregnant woman and children, and gave the headline sentence of ten years, while acknowledging Locke's early guilty plea, his young age and attempts to address his drug addiction.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 10-year sentence for "profoundly frightening" burglary. Charges or matters: burglary with a plank at Cloverhill Rd, Ballyfermot on April 1 this year. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• April 1 Incident
• 2018-11-08 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Burglary Drugs Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report