Courts / Meath / Report
"Like Saddam Hussein when he was captured": man took angle grinder to M50 toll gantry
Summary
Tony Rochford, 50, of Trim, was sentenced to six months in prison for damaging an M50 toll gantry with an angle‑grinder on 30 May and threatening Gardaí. He pleaded guilty to criminal damage and possession of an angle‑grinder. The judge set a headline sentence of four years, suspended the final two years, and imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year term for a prior offence, making the sentences consecutive. Rochford had previously damaged the gantry in June 2017, causing over €500,000 in damage and a 26‑hour outage. He posted videos on social media explaining his motives and was described by a security guard as "hyper." The court noted his history of PTSD, prior convictions, and a claim of political motivation for the earlier offence. The damage to the gantry was estimated at €500‑€1,000.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: "Like Saddam Hussein when he was captured": man took angle grinder to M50 toll gantry. Charges or matters: criminal damage and possession of an angle-grinder at an M50 eFlow toll gantry on May 30 this year; the first offence and the day before his scheduled sentence, he committed his second act of criminal damage at the M50. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- May 30 Incident
- June 16, 2017 Incident
- 2018-11-15 Publication
Why: The judge set a headline sentence of four years but reduced it because of the large number of testimonials handed into court in Rochford's favour, the good works he has carried out in his life, and the stress he was under at the time of the offence. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: criminal damage and possession of an angle-grinder at an M50 eFlow toll gantry on May 30 this year; the first offence and the day before his scheduled sentence, he committed his second act of criminal damage at the M50 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today Judge Melanie Greally sentenced him to two and a half years in prison, but suspended the final two years. The judge set a headline sentence of four years but reduced it because of the large number of testimonials handed into court in Rochford's favour, the good works he has carried out in his life, and the stress he was under at the time of the offence.
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