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Man who robbed bookies and was arrested while drinking pints in pub on the same street has sentence increased by appeal court
Summary
Richard Comerford, aged 55 and without a fixed address, had pleaded guilty in 2009 to robbery and possession of an imitation firearm at Boylesports bookmakers on Capel Street, Dublin. He was originally sentenced in February 2014 to five years' imprisonment, with the final two years suspended, by Judge Mary Ellen Ring. The Director of Public Prosecutions had previously argued that the sentence was unduly lenient, citing that Comerford was arrested shortly after the robbery while sitting in a pub on Capel Street with his co‑accused, drinking pints. On appeal, the three‑judge Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan, found the sentence too lenient in light of his 66 prior convictions. The court therefore increased his sentence by two years, setting aside the original term and imposing a new five‑year imprisonment from the original start date, with the same suspended portion.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man who robbed bookies and was arrested while drinking pints in pub on the same street has sentence increased by appeal court. Charges or matters: robbery and possession of an imitation firearm at Boylesports bookmakers on Capel Street, Dublin in January 2009. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- January 2009 Incident
- February 5 2014 Incident
- 2015-05-11 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: robbery and possession of an imitation firearm at Boylesports bookmakers on Capel Street, Dublin in January 2009 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He was sentenced to five years imprisonment with the final two suspended by Judge Mary Ellen Ring on February 5 2014. Accordingly, Mr Justice Sheehan, who sat with President of the Court of Appeal Mr Justice Seán Ryan and Mr Justice George Birmingham, set aside Comerford's original sentence and imposed a new sentence of five years imprisonment on him from the same date.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Capel Street
- Capel Street
Topics
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