A heroin addict who broke into an elderly woman's flat and gagged and tied her up with telephone wire has been jailed for eight years by Judge Dominic Lynch at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Paul Lunders (26), a separated father of three, of Croke Villas, Ballybough, Dublin, pleaded guilty to three separate counts of burglary, false imprisonment and assault on Ms Laura Dunne (87) on August 31st, 1997, at Richmond Road, Fairview.
Det Sgt Paul Scott told Mr Thomas O'Connoll, prosecuting, that the victim was watching television alone in her house when the doorbell rang. She opened the door as she was expecting a relative to call. Lunders then lunged forward and pushed the old woman, closed and locked the door and put the key in his pocket. He placed his hand to her throat saying: "Give me money. I'm on drugs".
In a statement to gardai following his arrest about a week later he admitted taking heroin before the attack.