A man on crutches who carried out five robberies in under 24 hours has been jailed for 18 months. Michael Donnelly (33), of Beaver Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin District Court yesterday to a series of robberies on August 13th/14th.
Det Garda John O'Connor said Donnelly went into Quirks in Amiens Street on his crutches, told the staff he had a gun, and ordered them to hand over the money. He got £100.
He then went to Abrakebabra in O'Connell Street, where he got £90. After that he robbed Viarts of Amiens Street of cash and cigarettes worth £198. Two hours later he went back and robbed it again, of £195. He finished by robbing Ladbrokes in Abbey Street of £200.
Garda O'Connor said that on each occasion he was on crutches and made no attempt to disguise himself. Judge Murrough Connellan heard Donnelly owed £500 for drugs to "a vicious type of criminal" and had been ordered to pay up.