Courts / Dublin / Report
Criminal Trevor Byrne guilty of botched armed robbery and hijack
Summary
Trevor Byrne, 41, of Finglas West, Dublin 11, was found guilty by the Special Criminal Court on all five charges arising from the armed robbery of BoyleSports in Swords, Co Dublin, on March 19, 2010. The charges included robbery, possession of a firearm, false imprisonment, threatening to kill, and unlawfully seizing a vehicle. Byrne had pleaded not guilty to all allegations. The court accepted evidence that a mobile phone dropped at the scene belonged to Byrne, noting that texts to a contact saved as 'Ma' matched numbers on his other devices. CCTV footage identified Byrne entering the premises before two masked men emerged brandishing guns. The court also accepted testimony from Miss Helen Leigh, whose car was hijacked during the getaway, and staff who were threatened. Mr Justice Michael MacGrath stated that Byrne's claim that the phone was stolen from him did not bear scrutiny. The judge found Byrne guilty on all five charges and adjourned the case to July 19 for sentencing. Byrne has 41 previous convictions, including a nine-year sentence imposed in December last year for stashing a loaded handgun. The matter was adjourned and is not yet concluded.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Criminal Trevor Byrne guilty of botched armed robbery and hijack. Charges or matters: the five charges arising from the armed robbery by two males of BoyleSports in Applewood Village in Swords, Co Dublin, on March 19, 2010. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- November 2009 Hearing Or Sentence
- March 19, 2010 Hearing Or Sentence
- July 19 Adjournment
- 2021-05-20 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: the five charges arising from the armed robbery by two males of BoyleSports in Applewood Village in Swords, Co Dublin, on March 19, 2010 (Alleged Or Contested)
Plea: Not guilty
Outcome: In December last year Byrne was also jailed for nine years, having been found by armed gardaí in a back garden cabin where a loaded handgun had been stashed.; The judge found Byrne guilty on all five charges and adjourned the case to July 19 for sentencing.
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