Courts / Dublin / Report
Jail for robber who smashed at lotto machine
Summary
Joseph French, aged 25, was sentenced to three years in prison for a supermarket robbery in which he smashed a lotto machine and tills with a baseball bat. The sentence is to run consecutively with a portion of his existing seven‑and‑a‑half‑year term for earlier robberies in 2014 and an endangerment offence in 2015. French, of Neilstown Park, pleaded guilty at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the 2015 robbery at Centra in Kingswood Shopping Centre. He had 139 prior convictions, including theft, robbery, possession of stolen property and traffic offences. Garda Ruth Brett described how French, armed with a bat, forced staff to open the tills, struck the machine and fled with €1,900. French was captured on CCTV about 20 minutes before the robbery, wearing the same clothes, a mask and a hi‑vis jacket. He pleaded guilty, expressed remorse, and asked the court for a chance to change his life for his daughter.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Jail for robber who smashed at lotto machine. Charges or matters: robbery of Centra at Kingswood Shopping centre on September 30, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- September 30, 2015 Incident
- 2017-06-16 Publication
Case subjects
Background Person
Charges: robbery of Centra at Kingswood Shopping centre on September 30, 2015 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: French's current sentence imposed in 2015 is composed of a four year sentence for the earlier robberies as well as a consecutive three-and-a-half year sentence for the endangerment charge. Judge O'Connor imposed a three year sentence which is to run consecutive to the initial four year portion of his current sentence for the robberies committed in 2014.
Places mentioned
- Neilstown Park
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
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