Man (21) apprehended after being found standing in a bush
By Brion Hoban
A man who was apprehended after being found standing in a bush near the scene of a burglary has been jailed for two years.
Dominic Rogers (21) of Arthur Griffith Park, Lucan, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of a stolen car at the M1 toll plaza, Julianstown, Co Meath, on June 28, 2019.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
He also pleaded guilty to burglary at Foxpark, Finnstown, Lucan, on September 26, 2019. He has five previous convictions, including convictions for possession of drugs and deception.
Detective Garda Donal Bulger told Ronan Prendergast BL, prosecuting, that on the date in June, a house in Artane was broken into and a car was stolen. Gardai obtained CCTV footage from an M1 toll plaza which showed Rogers driving the stolen car on the same date.
In interview with gardai, Rogers accepted he drove the stolen car, but denied being part of the burglary and said he had been paid €150 to drive the car. He was charged and released on bail.
Garda Ciaran Davies told Mr Prendergast that on the date in September, gardai arrived to a house in Lucan that had been broken into in the early hours of the morning and commenced a search of the area.
Garda Davies said that after gardai had left the scene, one of the house’s occupants came across Rogers standing in a nearby bush holding a torch. He asked Rogers to empty his pockets and restrained him after seeing his father’s debit card fall out.
In interview with gardai, Rogers claimed another man had burgled the house that he had only been acting as “a bit of a lookout”. He later accepted responsibility for the burglary.
Pieter Le Vert BL, defending, said his client was raised by his grandparents and that his grandfather had been diagnosed with cancer. He said his client had abused benzodiazepines in the past and that a psychologist report suggested he was in need of ongoing therapy.
Judge Martin Nolan said that Rogers had a good chance of rehabilitating himself. He said Rogers knew what he did was wrong and showed insight into his offending.
Judge Nolan sentenced Rogers to one year imprisonment for the earlier offence and two years imprisonment for the latter offence.
He ordered that the second sentence will run consecutive to the first for an effective sentence of three years imprisonment.
He then suspended the final 12 months of the sentence on strict conditions including that Rogers follow all directions of the Probation Service for 12 months post release.
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