Roger Ryan’s jail term increased after sentence appeals

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

The Court of Appeal increased Roger Ryan’s effective jail term by six months after reviewing sentences for a Limerick robbery and three offences in Clonmel. The proceedings were reported on 26 July 2019.

Ryan pleaded guilty to robbing Fine Wines on Roches Street, Limerick. The robbery took place on 26 June 2016, while he was on bail for an attempted robbery and two burglaries in Clonmel. The report said he took about €350 and a bottle of Jack Daniels and threatened a shop employee.

For the three Clonmel offences, Clonmel Circuit Criminal Court had imposed seven years’ imprisonment with the final two years suspended. Limerick Circuit Criminal Court had imposed a consecutive three-year sentence for the robbery, wholly suspended. The Director of Public Prosecutions sought a review of the Limerick sentence as unduly lenient, while Ryan’s lawyers appealed the severity of the Clonmel sentence.

Court of Appeal President Mr Justice Birmingham said the Clonmel sentence was overly severe and the Limerick judge had erred in suspending the entire sentence. The appeal court imposed six years with the final two suspended for the Clonmel offences and a consecutive three years with the final 18 months suspended for the Limerick robbery. Ryan was required to enter a good behaviour bond for the suspended periods and undertook to be so bound.