Serial thief "unwittingly" driven to crime scene by taxi driver

A man has entered guilty pleas to a series of shop robberies at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, having been driven to multiple crime scenes by a taxi driver unaware of his passenger's intentions. Dean Gray, aged 30 and of Buttercup Drive, Darndale, Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbery and knife production at XL Flintstones in Baldoyle on 21 May 2017, where he took €350. He also admitted robbing €425 from Petmania at Gulliver's Retail Park using a screwdriver on 17 March 2018, and two robberies from Tan Me salon on New Cabra Road totalling €500 on 12 March and 10 April 2018. Gray further pleaded guilty to robbing €200 from Centz on North Circular Road on 14 March 2018 and an attempted robbery with threats at Spar, Harts Corner, on 10 April 2018. Evidence indicated he made no effort to conceal his identity during any incident. The court heard Gray has 69 previous convictions including 21 robberies, and that his offences were motivated by drug addiction. The case was adjourned to late November for sentencing.