Courts

Two members of gang that used cars to ram raid commercial premises jailed for total of 10 years

Organised crime group targeted by Garda operation ‘Docht’ following a number of burglaries and high-value vehicle thefts in Dublin and Kildare

Det Gda McEvoy told Garret McCormack BL, prosecuting, the total damage to the 3 Store in Henry Street, Dublin was €49,459. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin
Det Gda McEvoy told Garret McCormack BL, prosecuting, the total damage to the 3 Store in Henry Street, Dublin was €49,459. Photograph: Colin Keegan/Collins Dublin
Niamh O’Donoghue
Sonya McLean
Wed Dec 11 2024 - 21:54

Two members of an organised crime gang who used cars to ram raid commercial premises have been jailed for a total of ten years.

The men were arrested three weeks later as part of operation ‘Docht’ targeting an organised criminal group responsible for burglaries and high-value vehicle thefts on July 3rd and July 4th last year.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard last Monday that in one incident, a “dummy car” was rammed through the front window of a phone shop in Dublin city centre. A Vodafone shop in Newbridge was also targeted earlier that night. Later that night, a car was rammed through the gates of a motor dealer on the Naas Road.

The arrests were made as a result of an ongoing intelligence-led operation by the Garda Eastern Region and involving units attached to the Dublin Metropolitan Region, Eastern Region and national units of gardaí.

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Ricardo Stancu, Daniel Murgea, and Ionut Leonard Petriu appeared before a sentencing hearing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The court heard all three were from Romania.

Stancu (19) of North Circular Road Dublin, and Murgea (31), also of North Circular Road, pleaded guilty to burglary, criminal damage and organised crime offences.

Judge Orla Crowe sentenced Stancu to five years in prison with the final 12 months suspended.

She imposed a sentence of six years on Murgea having taken into account his “significant history of dishonesty” – referring to his previous convictions in both France and Italy for offences involving theft.

Petriu (38) of Middle Abbey Street, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty to assisting the group and his culpability was the lowest of the three, the court heard. Judge Crowe adjourned his case to March 20th next and ordered the preparation of a probation report.

Judge Crowe said the crimes were committed over two days on three unoccupied commercial premises that had been deliberately targeted in an organised way.

Each of the accused pleaded guilty on their trial date in October and further pleas were entered on Monday. Stancu and Murgea are in custody but Petriu is on bail.

Det Gda Tom McEvoy gave evidence that gardaí received a call to attend the 3 Store in Henry Street, Dublin, after a car crashed into its front window. A silver Mercedes described as a “dummy car” was abandoned there and extensive damage was done to the front of the shop. The gang left with nothing because the mobile phones were kept in a safe.

The “dummy car” – a stolen Silver Mercedes – was also used to smash through the front window of the Vodafone Shop at the Whitewater Shopping Centre in Newbridge just before 2.30am on July 3rd, 2023.

The next day they rammed a car into Leinster Motors in Clondalkin. They used a Citroen C5 there to break through the gates, then stole a 5-series BMW at 12.30am on July 4th, which was later used for their next robbery as a getaway car.

Four suspects were ultimately identified from CCTV using a 5-series BMW as a getaway car.

Stancu was not involved in the Leinster Motors incident but was involved in the Henry Street and Whitewater Centre offences.

Det Gda McEvoy told Garret McCormack BL, prosecuting, the total damage to the 3 Store was €49,459 and there was €1,051 worth of damage to stock but nothing was stolen. A further €7,000 was lost from lack of trading following the incident.

The court heard that at the Whitewater Shopping Centre, a silver Mercedes Benz with two occupants wearing gloves approached the front of the shop. There was extensive damage done to the shop and they broke into the store and left with the store till. Some €16,000 worth of damage was caused in that incident.

A BMW 5 Series was stolen from the car dealership in Clondalkin and more than €4,000 worth of damage was caused to the gates.

Dean Kelly SC, for Stancu, said his client went back to Romania as a teenager before returning to Ireland. He was put in touch with people and was under pressure to take part. He said his client was a foot soldier who was taking rather than giving orders.

Seoirse O’Dunlaing SC, for Murgea, said his client had shown remorse. There was evidence he was under the control of other people.

Fergal McMorrow BL, for Petriu, said his client has one previous conviction. He said the father-of-three is working in a hotel. He came to live in Ireland in 2018.