A DUBLIN man who extorted more than a quarter of a million euro from a fish and chip shop owner in the city by threatening him with the Real IRA has been jailed for six years by the Special Criminal Court.
Mr Justice Paul Butler said: “It is abundantly clear that this activity was ordinary criminal racketeering and terrorising ordinary innocent people.”
David Dodrill (31), a taxi driver and father of two with an address at Plunkett Avenue, Finglas, pleaded guilty last week to membership of the IRA on July 13th last year.
Garda Chief Supt Diarmuid O’Sullivan told the court yesterday that over a period of two years, Dodrill forced the chip shop owner to hand over about €164,000, and in addition he forced the man to pay him €2,000 a week from 2010 to 2011, making an additional €100,000.
Dodrill told the businessman in July last year he would have to hand over the lease for his main premises in Mulhuddart, but could buy it back two years later for €300,000. In addition Dodrill demanded €5,000 “compensation” from the businessman because he had recorded conversations he had with Dodrill.
“The reason the injured party did not want to come to court is that he was fearful of Dodrill because he has been threatened continuously since July 2011 and he has been threatened to withdraw the statement he made to gardaí,” Chief Supt O’Sullivan added.
He told the court that the guilty plea was “reluctantly” accepted.
Chief Supt O’Sullivan said gardaí investigated the activities of the Real IRA in extorting funds from business people. He and Det Garda Tom Doran met the injured party, who reluctantly made a statement to gardaí in July 2011 and was “in serious fear”.
A surveillance operation involving the special detective unit, crime and security, the national surveillance unit and the emergency response unit was mounted and Dodrill was arrested.
In his statement, the injured party, who was not identified in court, said he ran a number of fish and chip businesses in Mulhuddart, Baldoyle, Kylemore and the Old Naas Road. In September 2009 he was told to go to a pub on Dublin’s northside where he was approached by Dodrill, who told him that they were taking over a loan of €30,000 that he owed.
Dodrill told the businessman: “We are the IRA.”
“He said he was the Real IRA and he would come for me and my family in the night,” the businessman told gardaí.
The businessman said Dodrill lifted his shirt and showed him tattoos of men in camouflage with balaclavas and guns and “Óglaigh na hÉireann” on his body. He said the tattoos “put him in fear of his life”.
At later meetings the businessman was told the entire debt with interest was now €164,000. The businessman handed over several cheques and drafts to Dodrill. He also met Dodrill every Thursday night at a car park in Finglas and handed over €2,000, which he was told was €1,500 for the loan and €500 “for himself”.
In July last year he was told they wanted the lease for his main premises, which was worth €500,000, but that he could buy it back two years later for €300,000.
The victim also said Dodrill came to his house one night and assaulted him. He started hitting him, chipping one of his teeth, and told him he was “being smart”.
Gardaí recorded the final meeting between the businessman and Dodrill in July last year when the chip shop owner handed over €2,000 to Dodrill. During the conversation, Dodrill told him he wanted €5,000 for himself in compensation because the businessman had recorded some of their conversations.
Dodrill told him: “You are going to have to compensate me or I am going to break your legs.”
Det Sgt Joe Higgins arrested Dodrill as he left the meeting.