Courts / Dublin / Report
Five years for 17 home burglaries
Summary
Kevin Coughlan, aged 23, was sentenced to five years in prison for burglarising 17 occupied homes and stealing 13 cars, engagement rings, passports and other items between May 2016 and September 2017. He admitted stealing baby clothes, a baby's birth certificate and a marriage certificate during one burglary. Victims reported severe emotional distress, including sleeplessness and financial hardship, with a total economic loss exceeding €130,000. Judge Melanie Greally suspended the final two and a half years of the sentence on strict conditions, requiring Coughlan to engage with the Probation Service for 18 months and attend addiction counselling. He pleaded guilty, citing hunger, rent and a drug debt as motives, and expressed remorse in a letter to the court. The case was largely based on his admissions, with no violence reported during the burglaries. The judge noted his homelessness and drug addiction at the time of the offences.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Five years for 17 home burglaries. Charges or matters: the burglary of 17 houses and the theft of 13 cars in the Clontarf area in Dublin, on dates between May 2016 and September 2017. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- May 2016 Incident
- September 2017 Incident
- September 8, 2017 Incident
- August 21, 2017 Incident
- 2019-03-13 Publication
Why: Coughlan made full admissions during interview with gardaí and said he committed the crimes in order to eat and pay rent. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: the burglary of 17 houses and the theft of 13 cars in the Clontarf area in Dublin, on dates between May 2016 and September 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Greally suspended the final two and half years of the five year sentence on strict conditions including that he engage with the Probation Service for 18 months and attend for addiction counselling as directed by them.
Places mentioned
Topics
Burglary Drugs Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime
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