Jason Brady pleads guilty to Dublin shop burglaries

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

Jason Brady pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglaries at a Starbucks café and the adjoining Star Buys shop in Clarehall on 22 June 2019. He also admitted criminal damage and possession of a claw hammer that night. The proceedings were reported on 22 January 2020.

Garda Brian Judge told the court that the Starbucks had been unable to renew its insurance after multiple robbery and burglary incidents and was forced to close. He said Brady was not a suspect for the other raids on the coffee shop.

Brady’s lawyers told the court he had smoked crack cocaine before the burglary and was committing crimes to feed an out-of-control drug habit. The court heard he had relapsed into heroin and crack cocaine use after his partner died weeks after the birth of their child.

Brady had 59 previous convictions, including burglary, robbery and drug dealing. He had been jailed for three years the previous December for unlawful possession of firearms, ammunition and drugs, offences for which he was on bail when he broke into the shops. His counsel said he had been in custody since then and was engaging in drug counselling and attending Narcotics Anonymous.

Judge Pauline Codd adjourned the case to March 30 and ordered an updated Probation Services report.