Jeffrey Crowley jailed for attempted robbery on Luas

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

Jeffrey Crowley, 19, received a 2½-year sentence with the final 12 months suspended for attempted robbery, leaving 18 months in custody. The proceedings were reported on 8 June 2015.

Crowley, of Blackhall Parade, Dublin 7, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The attempted robbery occurred at St James’s Hospital Luas stop on 7 April 2014. Standing on the platform, he grabbed Ciara Dunne’s umbrella and tried to pull it away as the doors closed. A tram door closed on her arm, fracturing it.

Garda Barry Hayes identified Crowley from CCTV footage. Crowley was arrested and admitted his involvement. He said he was on drugs at the time. In her victim impact statement, Dunne said she still suffered arm pain, was much more wary on public transport and felt vulnerable to attack.

Crowley had 37 previous convictions, including theft, robbery and criminal damage. Pieter Le Vert, defending, said Crowley had a difficult upbringing and would soon become a father. He said Crowley wanted to avoid repeating his own childhood experiences with his child and was completing his Leaving Cert and undergoing treatment for drug addictions.

Judge Terence O’Sullivan described the attack as a frightening experience for the victim. He took Crowley’s youth, guilty plea and remorse into account, but said it was not a trivial crime. He ordered Crowley to abstain from narcotics on release.