A drug addict who robbed £2.35 cash and a fishing tackle box from two teenage boys fishing the River Dodder has been jailed for 18 months by Judge Dominic Lynch at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
John O'Rourke (18), of Castle park, Tallaght produced a knife and threatened he would kill the boys unless they handed over the cash and fish-box on April 3rd last year. He pleaded guilty. Det Garda Tony Tighe told Mr Des Zaiden, prosecuting, that O'Rourke cycled up to where the victims were fishing and spoke to them about their fishing gear. He then said he wanted to take it and produced the knife.
O'Rourke forced one boy to hand over £2.35 which was their bus-fare and he also took a fishing box valued £30. He ordered the boys to walk off in the opposite direction to which he left. Det Garda Tighe agreed with Mr Jim Ridge, defending, that O'Rourke made a full statement of admission when he was arrested at his home about three weeks later. He had a serious drug problem.
Mr Ridge said his client hadn't made a good job of trying to deal with his drug addiction despite getting a chance from the court at an earlier stage. He pleaded with the court to give him an incentive to deal with it.
Judge Lynch said he could not ignore the seriousness of the crime and he had to have regard to public security as well as to rehabilitation. The most lenient he could be was to impose an 18-month sentence.