Seven years jail for man who burgled restaurant and Dublin rugby club while on bail
A man who burgled a Chinese restaurant and a rugby club while on bail for another burglary has been jailed for seven years.
Daniel Delaney (26) of Mariner's Port, Sheriff Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary at Clonsilla Inn, Clonsilla, Dublin, on January 8, 2017.
He also pleaded guilty to burglary at Siam Thai, Malahide, on May 21, 2017 and to burglary at Monkstown Rugby Club on September 20, 2017.
Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced him to three and a half years imprisonment for the earliest burglary, one and a half years for the second burglary and three years for the third burglary, all of which are to run consecutively to each other.
Judge Sheahan suspended the final 12 months of the eight-year total sentence on condition that Delaney keep the peace and be of good behaviour for a period of two years upon his release.
The court heard that while on bail for the burglary at Clonsilla Inn, Delaney burgled a Chinese restaurant in Malahide and that €3,000 of alcohol was stolen during the incident.
He also committed another burglary at Monkstown Rugby Club while on bail for the previous offences during which €7,690 damage was done to the premises. On both occasions he was identified using CCTV footage.
Delaney has 128 previous convictions, including for burglary, robbery and theft. The court heard that he has come to further garda attention since committing these most recent offences.
Judge Sheahan said the fact that two of the burglaries had been committed while on bail demonstrated “absolutely no regard for the rule of law”. She said that bail ought not to be viewed as an opportunity to commit further burglaries.
She said the fact that Delaney had done nothing to hide himself from CCTV only indicated the “brazen nature” of his criminality.
Judge Sheahan said the aggravating factors in the case included the seriousness of the offending, the fact that he was on bail when he committed two burglaries, and his previous convictions for similar offending.
She said the mitigating factors were his plea of guilty, having a very young child and the fact that he had been a “positive contributor to society” from 2014 until 2017.
Judge Sheahan granted the application of Pieter Le Vert BL, defending, to extend legal aid in the event of an appeal.
