A heroin addict who stole church funds by holding a syringe to the neck of a volunteer worker has been jailed for five years by Judge Elizabeth Dunne at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Mark Egan was one of two men who forced the volunteer to hand over £20 in a Dublin church. Judge Dunne told Egan his crime was "about as low as you could go".
Garda John Doran told the court that the woman was doing voluntary work in a shop in St Joseph's Church in Dublin 7 when two men attacked her.
One of them shouted: "I'm a junkie, give me money" and stuck a syringe to her neck. They took £6 from her a pocket in her apron and another £14 left into the church for a local charity.
Egan (21), of no fixed abode, and formerly of Kiltalawn Road, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to stealing £20 and possession of a weapon on December 29th, 1999.
Garda Doran said that security footage showed Egan and his co-accused pretending to pray minutes before the robbery.