Courts / Louth / Report
Au pair tied up with cables and locked in press during burglary
Summary
In a burglary at a Drogheda home on 29 April 2019, a 28‑year‑old South American au pair was tied to her backpack's cables and locked in a cupboard, then later dragged back into the hot press where she endured verbal abuse for an hour. The intruders, Stephen Daly (29) and a co‑accused, stole €800, $100, a phone, a watch and jewellery. At a Trim Circuit Criminal Court hearing in November 2019, Daly pleaded guilty to burglary and false imprisonment. Judge Martina Baxter sentenced him to nine years for false imprisonment (the final year suspended for 12 months) and seven years for burglary, with both terms running concurrently. In the Court of Appeal, Daly's counsel argued the 12‑year headline sentence was excessive, citing mitigating factors and his early guilty plea. The appeal was dismissed; the judge's sentencing was upheld. The case highlighted the au pair's ordeal and the subsequent security measures installed by her employers.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Au pair tied up with cables and locked in press during burglary. Charges or matters: burglary and false imprisonment and stealing cash amounts of €800 and $100 and a number of personal items, including a phone, a watch and jewellery, from the au pair. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- April 29, 2019 Incident
- November 2019 Incident
- May 2020 Incident
- 2021-11-08 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: burglary and false imprisonment and stealing cash amounts of €800 and $100 and a number of personal items, including a phone, a watch and jewellery, from the au pair (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He was later sentenced to nine years for false imprisonment, with the final year suspended for 12 months, and seven years for burglary by Judge Martina Baxter, who ordered that the sentences were to run concurrently. At the Court of Appeal today, lawyers for Daly argued that the length of sentence imposed by the judge at the May 2020 hearing was too long.
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