Courts / Dublin / Report
Suspended sentence added to jail term over false imprisonment of teens
Summary
Michael Cummins, aged 32, of Applewood Avenue, Swords, pleaded guilty to stealing an iPhone, making a threat to kill, burglary, false imprisonment and assault in Swords on 9 August 2017. He threatened to pour acid into a boy's eye and to blow up their house, actions that occurred during a drug‑induced paranoid episode. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced him to two years' imprisonment on 27 February 2018. The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed, arguing the sentence was unduly lenient. The Court of Appeal added a two‑year suspended sentence, to be applied upon his release. Cummins' final net sentence is four years' imprisonment, with the last two years suspended. The case involved two teenage boys, aged 13 and 15, who were falsely imprisoned and threatened with violence. The Court noted Cummins' 230 prior convictions and the serious nature of the offence, including a racial element. The suspended sentence will be activated if he reoffends.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Suspended sentence added to jail term over false imprisonment of teens. Charges or matters: stealing an iPhone, making a threat to kill, burglary, false imprisonment and assault in Swords on August 9, 2017. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- August 9, 2017 Incident
- February 27, 2018 Incident
- 2018-12-20 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: stealing an iPhone, making a threat to kill, burglary, false imprisonment and assault in Swords on August 9, 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: However, due to the fact Cummins' sentence was being lengthened on foot of a DPP appeal, the court suspended the final two years for two years. President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice George Birmingham, who sat with Mr Justice McCarthy and Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy, told Cummins to stay out of trouble for the suspended sentence or the two year period would be activated.
Places mentioned
- Applewood Avenue
- Swords
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Court of Appeal
Topics
Burglary Drugs Stage Appeal Theft Violent Crime
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