Courts / Dublin / Report

Burglary lookout left mobile phone at scene

Date
2016-03-15

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

A 22‑year‑old man, Garrett Lyster, was identified as a lookout in an armed burglary of an elderly couple in Finglas, Dublin, after he left his mobile phone at the scene. The couple, aged in their early nineties, were asleep when the burglary occurred at about 4.30 a.m. The husband heard a noise, retrieved a saw from under the bed, and was struck by a raider who used a sharp object to cut his hand before fleeing. Gardaí arrived soon after and the victim was taken to hospital. Lyster, who pleaded guilty to burglary on 12 May 2013, admitted to "keeping sketch" during the crime. He is a father of two and was described by his defence counsel as a vulnerable man easily led. Judge Catherine Murphy expressed reluctance to impose a jail term, noting he had no prior court record, but warned him to stay out of trouble before sentencing in July.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Burglary lookout left mobile phone at scene. Charges or matters: burglary at the house in Finglas on May 12, 2013. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

May 12, 2013 Incident
2016-03-15 Publication

Why: The court heard there were no victim impact reports from the couple because the woman had Alzheimer's disease and the man was very ill. Court evidence reported by CNI