Courts / Dublin / Report

One-time homeless man spared jail over botched attempt at College Green bank robbery

Summary

Gary Broderick, aged 42, pleaded guilty to an attempted robbery at Ulster Bank on College Green on 9 January 2012. The court found he was homeless, drug‑ and alcohol‑addicted, and living a chaotic life at the time of the offence. A woman in the bank saw him enter, screamed, and called 999; Garda Paul Burke later identified him and he was arrested. An imitation firearm was found abandoned at the bank door, and CCTV footage captured his approach. Broderick claimed he wanted to discuss a money issue with bank officials and had been to a drug clinic en route, making him unfit for interview. He has 79 prior convictions, including traffic offences and court appearances. Judge Mary Ellen Ring sentenced him to three years, suspended in full for 18 months, and directed him to continue housing, drug counselling, urine analysis and Probation Services for 18 months.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: One-time homeless man spared jail over botched attempt at College Green bank robbery. Charges or matters: attempted robbery at Ulster Bank, College Green on January 9, 2012. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• January 9, 2012 Incident
• 2014-11-17 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence Theft

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Read the original CNI report