Courts / Dublin / Report

Man who used woman as human shield avoids jail

Date
2021-03-24

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Tallaght

County
Dublin

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Dale Lawlor, aged 25, was sentenced to a suspended 18‑month prison term for assault causing harm after he used a shop worker as a human shield during an altercation at a Centra convenience shop in Tallaght. Lawlor and another man entered the shop and were chased by five men. Craig Courtney, also 25, swung a hurley at both men. Courtney cornered Lawlor, who then hid behind the female shop worker, Roberta Rodriguez Brasil, and used her as a shield. The woman fell, sustaining a sprained wrist and a concussion when Courtney struck her head with the hurley. Lawlor pleaded guilty to the assault, admitted he had been heavily using cocaine, and offered an apology. He brought €2,000 to court as a gesture of remorse, which the judge required him to pay to the victim.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man who used woman as human shield avoids jail. Charges or matters: assault causing harm of Roberta Rodriguez Brasil at Centra on the Old Bawn Road, in Tallaght, Dublin on April 6, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

April 6, 2017 Incident
2021-03-24 Publication

Case subjects

Craig Courtney

Defendant

Charges: assault causing harm of Roberta Rodriguez Brasil at Centra on the Old Bawn Road, in Tallaght, Dublin on April 6, 2017 (Alleged Or Contested)

Outcome: Last month Courtney received a fully suspended sentence of two and a half years after pleading guilty to assault causing harm.

Dale Lawlor

Defendant

Charges: assault causing harm of Roberta Rodriguez Brasil at Centra on the Old Bawn Road, in Tallaght, Dublin on April 6, 2017 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty