Courts / Dublin / Report
On-the-run mugger jailed for stealing €23k casino win from pensioner
Summary
Iancu Nicola, 31, was jailed for three years after he followed a 73‑year‑old woman from a city centre casino to her home and stole €23,000 she had just won. Nicola, who had previously lived in The Boulevard, Mount Garret, Tyrrelstown, pleaded guilty to robbery outside her home in Templeogue on 7 October 2016. He had six prior convictions for road traffic offences and absconded the day after the attack, only being arrested in Romania five years later and returned to Ireland under a European Arrest Warrant in October 2021. He was sentenced by Judge Melanie Greally, who suspended the final 18 months of a four‑and‑a‑half‑year term on the condition that he keep the peace and engage with the Probation Service. Nicola's accomplices, Declan Connolly (41) and Brian English (32), received five‑year and three‑year suspended sentences respectively. Connolly pleaded guilty to the robbery and had 11 prior minor convictions.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: On-the-run mugger jailed for stealing €23k casino win from pensioner. Charges or matters: robbery of the woman outside her home in Templeogue on October 7, 2016; the robbery; stealing the €23,000 from the woman after gardaí were satisfied that he acted as "a spotter" that evening and passed on information in relation to the victim. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 7, 2016 Incident
- October 2021 Incident
- November 2019 Incident
- 2022-11-01 Publication
Why: Ian Woodland BL, defending, said his client had got involved in the offence because he had a gambling addiction at the time. Defence account reported by CNI
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: robbery of the woman outside her home in Templeogue on October 7, 2016; the robbery; stealing the €23,000 from the woman after gardaí were satisfied that he acted as "a spotter" that evening and passed on information in relation to the victim (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Connolly was sentenced to five years in prison with the final two and half years suspended, while English was given a three-year suspended sentence by Judge Martin Nolan in November 2019.
Defendant
Charges: robbery of the woman outside her home in Templeogue on October 7, 2016; the robbery; stealing the €23,000 from the woman after gardaí were satisfied that he acted as "a spotter" that evening and passed on information in relation to the victim (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Connolly was sentenced to five years in prison with the final two and half years suspended, while English was given a three-year suspended sentence by Judge Martin Nolan in November 2019.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Coultry Drive
- Santry Avenue
- North King Street
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
Road Traffic Stage Sentence Theft
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