Courts / Limerick / Report

Conviction for violent rural burglary is quashed on appeal

Summary

Alan Freeman, aged 38, was convicted of violently breaking into the Garvey family home in Pallasgreen, Co. Limerick, on 16 April 2012, where he and two other men used a sawn‑off shotgun, a sledgehammer and a baseball bat. The gang restrained the occupants, threatened Gerard Garvey and his 14‑year‑old daughter, and took cash before fleeing. Freeman, along with Patrick Roche (54) and Philip Roche (25), was also found guilty of a separate burglary at the Creed home. Judge John Hannan sentenced Freeman to 14 years, with the final three years suspended. On 10 December 2019 the Court of Appeal quashed Freeman's conviction and ordered a retrial, while the convictions of the Roche men were upheld. The appeal was based on the Court's view that evidence linking Freeman to an alleged burglary at another home should have led to a separate trial, as the evidence was deemed insufficient and potentially prejudicial.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Conviction for violent rural burglary is quashed on appeal. Charges or matters: violently breaking into, and restraining the occupants of, the Garvey family home in Pallasgreen, Co Limerick on April 16, 2012. Procedural stage: appeal. Findings: Found guilty

When:

• April 16, 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
• May 2012 Incident
• November 14, 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
• 2019-12-10 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Burglary Stage Appeal Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report