Courts / Limerick / Report
Young armed robber has jail term cut
Summary
Luke Barrett, aged 22, was sentenced to eight years in prison for two armed robberies in County Limerick, with 18 months of the sentence suspended. The first robbery, committed at 6:20 am on 6 July 2017, involved a knife threat and the theft of €340 from a family‑owned shop in Newcastle West. The second robbery, at 7 am on 15 August 2018, saw Barrett threaten staff at a service station in Locke Quay, Limerick, and later hold up a sandwich shop, taking €80. Judge Tom O'Donnell imposed two consecutive four‑year terms for the robberies and a concurrent two‑year term for an attempted robbery. Barrett appealed, arguing the first offence was his first and that the four‑year term was excessive. The Court of Appeal, hearing counsel Yvonne Quinn BL, found an error in principle and reduced the first term to three years, while increasing the suspended portion from 18 months to two years.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Young armed robber has jail term cut. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- July 6, 2017 Incident
- August 15, 2018 Other
- February 2020 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2022-04-04 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Outcome: He later appealed the sentence imposed at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court in February 2020, on the grounds it was too severe. At the Court of Appeal today, Yvonne Quinn BL, for Barrett, said there had been "error in principle" by the judge when he handed down an aggregate sentence of eight years with 18 months suspended.
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