Sammy Hutch jailed for six and a half years over Dealz hammer robbery

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

Sammy Hutch was jailed for six and a half years for a robbery at a Dealz store in Rathfarnham Shopping Centre. A jury convicted him of the October 1, 2023 robbery after a trial last October. Judge Elma Sheahan set a headline term of seven and a half years, reduced it to six and a half years for mitigating factors, and backdated the sentence to June 2024. The court heard Hutch does not accept the verdict and has not expressed remorse.

The court heard that two helmeted men entered the shop carrying hammers. Hutch held a staff member by the wrist while armed with a hammer; she escaped to a washroom and called gardaí. No physical violence took place, the court was told. DNA matching Hutch was found on a balaclava and gloves recovered by gardaí. The staff member said the robbery left her feeling unsafe and unable to sleep, and she changed jobs after the incident.

The judge noted that the victim suffered psychologically. Hutch had 102 previous convictions, including 39 burglaries, two robberies and nine theft offences. The report says the other man involved has not been apprehended.