Ray Burke jailed for criminal damage after Dublin graffiti

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

Ray Burke was jailed for one year for three counts of criminal damage at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 21 February 2023.

Burke pleaded guilty to the three charges. The proceedings were reported on 21 February 2023.

The offences caused about €12,000 in damage at several Dublin locations, including Clontarf Dart station, Connolly, Talbot Street and the GPO on O’Connell Street. The court heard that Burke wrote slogans about his brother’s death. His defence said an open verdict had been recorded in that death, and described his history of polysubstance abuse and psychiatric difficulties, including paranoia linked to crack cocaine and heroin use. Judge Martin Nolan said the damage was motivated by feelings that justice had not been done. The sentence was dated from 21 February, while Burke was already in custody on another matter until the end of June.