Courts / Dublin / Report
Burglar's "criminal instincts" kicked in during restaurant visits
Summary
Damien O'Reilly, 38, pleaded guilty to burglary at Locks Restaurant and I Monelli in October 2017. While seeking work, he entered Locks, looked through staff lockers, and stole a phone and €20. A staff member caught him and he later surrendered the phone. At I Monelli he tried to book a family dinner but went behind the counter, was photographed by staff and arrested the next day. O'Reilly, a long‑time drug addict who had relapsed after a relationship ended, expressed remorse and regret. Judge Melanie Greally noted the similarity of the offences, his addiction history and lack of lasting victim harm, but also the confrontation with staff. She sentenced him to two‑and‑a‑half years, suspending the final 15 months for 18 months on strict conditions, including drug‑addiction treatment before release.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Burglar's "criminal instincts" kicked in during restaurant visits. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 14, 2017 Incident
- October 19, 2017 Incident
- 2019-03-07 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Greally imposed a two-and-a-half year sentence and suspended the final 15 months for a period of 18 months on strict conditions.
Places mentioned
Topics
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