Glen Carolan receives suspended sentence for McDonald’s robbery

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Glen Carolan received a five-year prison sentence, suspended for five years, for a McDonald’s robbery. The proceedings were reported on 25 July 2019.

Carolan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing €513 from McDonald’s at Gullivers Retail Park, Santry. The robbery took place on 1 May 2018.

He accepted that he had used a knife to threaten staff, but said he had not been involved in planning the robbery. Garda Francis Chaney said Carolan claimed he was forced to carry it out or be killed. Carolan said he owed thousands because of drug addiction and gambling and had been told his house would be smashed up.

Garda Chaney said staff reported that Carolan entered wearing a balaclava and gloves, pointed the knife and demanded money. Carolan claimed he handed the cash, clothing and knife to those who had instructed him to carry out the raid.

Judge Melanie Greally suspended the sentence on condition that Carolan engage with the Probation Service for 12 months in relation to addiction services and drug screening. She said she was giving him a chance mainly because he had no previous convictions.

Defence counsel Karl Monahan said a probation report was mixed: Carolan had co-operated with the service and then had not engaged, but was now anxious to work with it.