A man has been jailed for seven years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for drug-related robberies on shops. Declan Murphy (20), of St Attracta Road, Cabra, had been given a chance when he was released from custody at a previous hearing and his sentence for offences committed in 1995 and 1996 was adjourned.
However, after being drugfree for 10 months, he relapsed and committed more offences and was put back into custody last October. Evidence given indicated that a syringe and a canister of Mace gas were among the weapons used either by Murphy or accomplices.
Defence counsel Mr Patrick Marrinan said Murphy had never come to the notice of gardai before he was 18 when he began abusing drugs.
Judge Cyril Kelly said the case graphically illustrated "the downward spiral into chaos" which drugs caused. He noted that "a lot of hope" had been placed in Murphy by various people and this led to his previous release. He imposed five sentences of seven years, one of six years and four of five years, all to run concurrently. The case will be reviewed on December 13th, 1999, subject to favourable reports.