Courts / Dublin / Report

Man who stole from taxi driver during attack avoids jail

Date
2019-11-22
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

Terence Gavin, 27, was given a two‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to stealing €320 from taxi driver Imram Shahzad on 4 August 2016. Gavin was driven home by Shahzad that night and was asked to pay his fare before a group of teenage boys attacked the driver. While the assault was underway, Gavin took the driver's wallet and fled. CCTV footage identified him at the pub where Shahzad had been picked up. The teenagers were never identified. Gavin, a flooring contractor, paid €5,620 to Shahzad as a token of remorse and to cover the stolen money and windscreen damage. He has 12 prior convictions, including theft, traffic offences and threatening to cause serious harm. The judge, Martin Nolan, sentenced Gavin on the theft charge, not the assault, and suspended the sentence on conditions including restitution to Shahzad.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man who stole from taxi driver during attack avoids jail. Charges or matters: stealing €320 cash from Imram Shahzad at the same address on August 4, 2016. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Case subjects

Terence Gavin

Defendant

Charges: stealing €320 cash from Imram Shahzad at the same address on August 4, 2016 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Handing down sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said he must sentence Gavin on the charge of theft before the court and not on the assault. "This man was not responsible for the attack and his wrong-doing was stealing," he said. He handed down a two-year sentence and suspended it on a number of conditions, including that Gavin pay over the cash to Mr Shahzad.

Places mentioned

Residence
Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

Topics

Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime

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