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Jail for "cowardly" robber who took childrens phones at knifepoint

Summary

Derek McCann, 35, of Walkinstown Park, pleaded guilty in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing two young boys of their mobile phones at knifepoint on 29 September 2014. He had 31 prior convictions for robbery, burglary, assault and firearm possession. The boys, aged 12 and 14, handed over their phones and €6 each; McCann returned the money before demanding silence. He expressed shame and wrote apology letters. Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a four‑year sentence, suspending the final two years under strict conditions. McCann is currently serving the reactivated two‑year term, which will begin anew in April. The case highlighted the boys' fear and the older boy's maturity in calming his younger brother during the robbery.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Jail for "cowardly" robber who took childrens phones at knifepoint. Charges or matters: robbing the children's phones at a location in Dublin city on September 29, 2014. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• September 29, 2014 Incident
• 2016-03-04 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Burglary Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report