Courts / Dublin / Report

Serial offender with 134 priors jailed for breaking into community centre twice

Date
2025-05-08

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

Patrick Lynch, 50, of Rosemount Glade, Dundrum, was sentenced to six months' imprisonment by Judge Anne Watkin at Dun Laoghaire District Court for a series of burglaries. He pleaded guilty to multiple counts of burglary, theft and trespassing. On 9 January 2024 he unlawfully entered the Rosemount Resource Centre at Waldermere Terrace, stole five Samsung tablets worth €5,500 and was prosecuted under Section 4 of the Theft and Fraud Offences Act 2001. The next night, 10 January, he returned, stole additional Samsung devices and €450 in cash. Gardaí later recovered five of the stolen tablets. While on bail, he committed further offences on 29 and 30 April, including entering a property through an open window and stealing a phone and a laptop worth about €1,000. Lynch has 134 prior convictions, including 11 for theft under the 2001 Act, and a history of drug addiction and mental health difficulties.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Serial offender with 134 priors jailed for breaking into community centre twice. Charges or matters: several counts of burglary, theft, and trespassing. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

9 January 2024 Incident
10 January Incident
30 April Incident
2025-05-08 Publication

Case subjects

Patrick Lynch

Defendant

Charges: several counts of burglary, theft, and trespassing (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Judge Watkin said that while she accepted Lynch's background was difficult, the repeat nature of his offending – especially returning the following night after the first burglary – and the extent of his criminal history required a custodial sentence. Lynch was sentenced to six months in prison.