Stiff jail term for failed villain who had ‘best idea’ to rob shop

A would-be robber who terrified a pregnant Centra employee when he threatened her with a crowbar has been jailed for three years.

Dubliner Jason Spooner (45) got “the best idea” to rob cigarettes from a Centra store after he had been awake the whole night having taken “a load of pills” a court has heard.

Spooner of Belclare Park, Ballymun, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the attempted robbery of cigarettes to the value of €300 and having a crowbar to incapacitate or intimidate staff at Centra, Hamptonwood, Finglas on February 25, 2017.

Passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Karen O’Connor said “one could only imagine the fear” felt by the Centra employee who was five months pregnant at the time.

Menaced pregnant woman

The court heard that when this woman opened the shop doors at 7:30am, Spooner walked in after her, locked the doors behind him and produced the crowbar, demanding that she open the safe.

The judge said it had been a “terrifying experience” for the employee, who was most afraid that it might affect her pregnancy. The judge said a victim-impact report made previously available to the court showed that the incident was having an ongoing effect on the woman, who remains afraid at work that someone might come in and rob the shop.

The judge sentenced Spooner to 4½ years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended.

She had set a headline sentence of six years but reduced this on account of mitigating factors including the death of Spooner’s father. The judge also gave Spooner credit for his guilty plea, although she said this was diluted somewhat by its late timing a week before trial.

The court heard previously that Spooner had been waiting outside the Centre store when the pregnant staff member opened the shop and he followed her in, wearing a balaclava.

Sgt Conor Scully told Antonia Boyle, prosecuting, that the woman immediately ran into a back office and locked herself in. Spooner followed and tried to open the office door with the bar before demanding the woman let him in.

‘Go grab a smoke and leg it’

The woman watched Spooner on the shop cameras trying to open a till with the bar before he opened the cigarette machine and started putting packets of cigarettes in his bag.

Another staff member had arrived at the shop, saw Spooner inside and alerted the gardaí­.

When Sgt Scully arrived, he forced his way in and found Spooner loading his bag with cigarettes. He initially threatened the garda with the bar but Sgt Scully tackled him to the ground and got the weapon off him.

Spooner was arrested and told gardaí­ in interview, “I was awake the whole night after taking a load of pills. I had the best idea to go up there and get a cigarette.” He said he intended to “go grab a smoke and leg it”.

His 16 previous convictions include road traffic, theft and public order offences.

Sgt Scully agreed with John Moher, defending, that his client had a history of addiction difficulties, Mr Moher said his client wanted him to convey his apologies to the victim.