Courts / Dublin / Report
Robber with 92 priors who travelled wrong way down motorway has jail term more than trebled
Summary
The Court of Appeal has re-sentenced Alan Melia, finding his original prison term unduly lenient. Melia, of Ballyfermot, Dublin, had previously pleaded guilty to robbery at the Applegreen filling station in Northern Ireland, along with endangerment, dangerous driving, and criminal damage on the M1 in Louth, all occurring on August 23, 2020. In January 2023, Judge Patrick Quinn at Dundalk Courthouse set a headline sentence of six years, which was reduced to four years with two years suspended. Acting for the State, Simon Matthews BL appealed this decision, arguing the sentence was significantly too low given Melia's 92 previous convictions and the severity of the offences, including reversing into a garda vehicle and driving the wrong way down the motorway. Defence counsel Keith Spencer BL highlighted mitigation factors, including an early guilty plea and a difficult upbringing. Mr Justice Birmingham agreed the original sentence was unduly lenient to a significant extent. He determined that the headline sentence could not be less than ten years but reduced it to seven and a half years, taking into account Melia's guilty plea and his cooperation in consenting to have the robbery dealt with in this jurisdiction. The final year of the sentence was suspended for 12 months.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Robber with 92 priors who travelled wrong way down motorway has jail term more than trebled. Charges or matters: robbery at Applegreen filling station, Tullynacross, Lisburn, Northern Ireland, and endangerment, dangerous driving and criminal damage at various locations on the M1 in Louth, all on August 23, 2020. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- August 23, 2020 Other
- January 2023 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2024-04-25 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: robbery at Applegreen filling station, Tullynacross, Lisburn, Northern Ireland, and endangerment, dangerous driving and criminal damage at various locations on the M1 in Louth, all on August 23, 2020 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Appealing the undue leniency of the original sentence, Simon Matthews BL, acting on behalf of the State, said that Judge Patrick Quinn set a headline sentence of six years at Dundalk Courthouse in January 2023, which was then reduced to four with two years of that suspended. Mr Justice Birmingham said that the headline sentence could not be less than ten years, but after considering the mitigation of Melia's guilty plea and his cooperation in consenting to have the robbery offence dealt with in this jurisdiction, the judge reduced this to seven and a half years, with the final year suspended for 12 months.
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Cherry Orchard Avenue
- Dublin
- Dundalk
- Dundalk Courthouse
Topics
Road Traffic Stage Appeal Theft
Related court reports
- Man charged with having 56k child abuse images and videos remanded on bail
- Ex-Dáil hopeful's allegations against former employer 'complete fantasy', WRC told
- Mater must pay €10k to worker who said he was wrongly accused of abusing patient
- 'I think we know I won't be getting bail' - Daniel Kinahan charged with directing criminal organisation
- Letting agent who claimed alleged domestic violence victim abandoned tenancy by fleeing to refuge must pay €14.7k
- 77-year-old with 470 convictions told Luas staff to 'f**k off'
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request