Man with 228 previous convictions jailed after robbery of Dublin petrol station

Fiona Ferguson

A robber with 228 previous convictions who raided a Dublin petrol station armed with a knife has been given a three-year, three-month sentence with the final six months suspended.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard the victim left her job as a result of the robbery.

Lee O'Brien (39) of Reuben Walk, Rialto, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty to robbery at Circle K, Dundrum Road, Dundrum, Dublin 14, on June 3rd, 2021.

O’Brien has 228 previous convictions for offences including robbery, possession of knives, theft, burglary, assault, as well as drugs and road traffic offences. He was not on bail at the time of this offence as he had recently been released from custody.

Passing sentence on Friday, Judge Orla Crowe said this had been a deliberate and organised offence with O’Brien changing his clothes and bringing a knife to the shop.

She said it had been a deeply frightening offence for the victim, which impacted her job.

She said the woman had been doing a service for everyone and had to contend with this behaviour.

Judge Crowe noted since going into custody, O'Brien has attempted to detox and was looking for a suspended portion to the sentence. She took into account that he has apologised.

She said the case had been delayed by Covid and could have been dealt with earlier, but noted he had also taken a trial date, failed to appear and took a bench warrant.

Judge Crowe imposed a three year and three month sentence with the final six months suspended.

Sergeant Donal Tully told Liam Dockery BL, prosecuting, that O’Brien approached a staff member at the counter armed with a knife and demanded all the notes in the tills. A total of €350 was handed over.

Sgt Tully said CCTV in the area was reviewed and O’Brien was seen running into an apartment where he changed clothes and left on a bike. A backpack was retrieved from where he had been seen to delay behind a tree and his DNA was found on a cap and hoodie inside.

O’Brien was identified on the CCTV footage and arrested in June 2023.

The injured party did not submit a victim impact statement, but the court heard she left her job as a result of the incident.

Sgt Tully agreed with Karl Monahan BL, defending, that the case had been delayed coming forward due to Covid and he had already been sentenced for matters which pre-dated and occurred around the same time as these offences.

The garda agreed with counsel that his client had long-standing drug difficulties and most of his offending was bound up with that.

Mr Monahan said O’Brien had a difficult start in life and began dabbling with drugs at an early age after ending up in an industrial school, before beginning to use heroin and committing offences to get money for drugs.

He said O’Brien’s life had been blighted by drugs and he was sick of the cycle he was in.

Counsel said his client apologised for the offence and to the lady in question for the shock she experienced. He said O'Brien was hopeful of putting his house in order.