Courts / Dublin / Report
Pensioner (73) violently robbed of €23k in casino winnings
Summary
In a 2019 Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Declan Connolly, 36, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for robbery, with the final two and a half years suspended. Connolly, the getaway driver, pleaded guilty to robbing a 73‑year‑old woman outside her Templeogue home on 7 October 2016 after she had won €23,000 at the Fitzwilliam Casino. Brian English, 27, who monitored the woman in the casino and passed information to Connolly, received a three‑year suspended sentence for theft. English had no prior convictions. The court noted that CCTV footage showed English watching the victim and that communication between the two men's phones linked them to the crime. Both men pleaded guilty; Connolly expressed remorse, while English's plea was accepted as a theft charge. The court ordered English to hand over €6,500 to the victim. The actual mugger had not yet been brought before the courts.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Pensioner (73) violently robbed of €23k in casino winnings. Charges or matters: robbery of the woman outside her home in Templeogue on October 7, 2016; stealing the €23,000 from the woman after gardaí were satisfied that he acted as "a spotter" that evening and passed on information in relation to the victim. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 7, 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2019-11-21 Publication
Why: Judge Nolan accepted that English was spotted watching the victim and he was linked back to the crime because of the communication between the phones. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: robbery of the woman outside her home in Templeogue on October 7, 2016; stealing the €23,000 from the woman after gardaí were satisfied that he acted as "a spotter" that evening and passed on information in relation to the victim (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Brian English (27), who monitored the activities of the woman in the casino, was given a three year suspended sentence. He imposed a three year suspended sentence and ordered that €6,500 brought to court by English be handed over to garda for transmission to the injured party.; Judge Nolan had yesterday remanded English in custody overnight prior to sentencing to consider his case.
Convicted Person
Charges: robbery of the woman outside her home in Templeogue on October 7, 2016; stealing the €23,000 from the woman after gardaí were satisfied that he acted as "a spotter" that evening and passed on information in relation to the victim (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Declan Connolly (36) who was the getaway driver, was sentenced to five years in prison with the final two and half years suspended, while Brian English (27), who monitored the activities of the woman in the casino, was given a three year suspended sentence. Judge Nolan said Connolly played a vital role and "knew what was going to happen" before he suspended the final two and half years of a five year sentence.; Judge Nolan had yesterday remanded English in custody overnight prior to sentencing to consider his case.
Places mentioned
- Coultry Drive
- Santry Avenue
- Dublin
- North King Street
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Mountjoy
- Mountjoy Prison
Topics
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