Court hears father robbed shop to clear son's drug debt, jailed for four years
A Carlow man who held up a shop to clear his son's drug debt months has been jailed for another four years.
David Murphy (39) had been released from a seven-year jail term just four months earlier.
He told gardaí that he had planned to rob the shop in Dublin city centre because “someone I know is in a bit of trouble and needs money”.
Garda Jack McGovern agreed with Keith Spencer BL, defending, that he had since learned that Murphy was planning to assist his 21-year-old son who had a drug debt.
Murphy, of Dereen Heights, Tullow Road, Carlow town, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the attempted robbery of Centra on Camden Street, Dublin on December 28, 2017.
He has 64 previous convictions including burglary and robbery.
He received a seven-year sentence in 2012, with the final five suspended, for robberies. The suspended portion of his sentence was on condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for five years.
Today Judge Melanie Greally reactivated three years of those five previously suspended. She said the fact he committed the fresh offence for his son was not a mitigating factor.
She noted that Murphy had been drug-free at the time of the recent offence and “should have been able to restrain himself” from committing crime having been released from jail.
She imposed a new five-year sentence for this offence but suspended the final four years, taking into account Murphy's genuine remorse, his desire to deal with his drug issues and his guilty plea. This sentence is consecutive to the three reactivated years.
Gda McGovern told Gerardine Small BL, prosecuting, that Marco Moniz was working in the shop just after 6pm when Murphy walked in. His face was covered with a scarf and he was armed with a scissors.
He threatened Mr Moniz, saying, “give me the money or I'll stab you.” Mr Moniz replied, “are you for real?” before he tackled Murphy to the ground and held on to him.
Mr Moniz's colleague, Hyeon Seok Kim, called the gardaí. Murphy was sitting on the ground in the shop, being watched by the staff, when officers arrived on the scene.
Mr Moniz stated in a victim impact report that he was so terrified by the incident that he no longer works in retail. He said he was afraid he would be stabbed and now works long hours in construction doing manual labour.
Murphy made admissions in his garda interview and described his actions as stupid. He said he was sorry for what he had done and had been remanded in custody since the attempted raid.
Gda McGovern agreed with Mr Spencer that his client said in interview that he didn't want to injure anyone so he didn't put up a fight when he was tackled. He agreed that Murphy was “immediately overpowered and didn't try and resist that”.
Mr Spencer said his client was the youngest of four siblings, none of whom had ever been involved in any kind of criminality.
“All of his family are doing really well. He is very regretful and remorseful to bring this kind of offence to their door,” Mr Spencer said.
Counsel said Murphy was a recovering drug addict and was good-natured, caring and compassionate when not on drugs.
Mr Spencer said Murphy's raid was “foiled by the bravery of the staff” and added it had been his client's “intention of going straight” after his release from prison.
“His son had succumbed to the great frailties he had succumbed to and my client was trying to extradite his son from a horrible situation,” Mr Spencer submitted to Judge Greally.
