A Chinese national spent half an hour in the Royal Canal on a freezing winter night after being pushed into the water by three teenagers who tried to rob him.
Thomas Jervis (19) and cousins Brian (20) and Stephen Maughan (18) then robbed a German tourist of his wallet and phone after threatening him with a corkscrew farther along the canal.
Jervis, of Crannoge Road, Ballymun, and the Maughans of St Margaret's Park, Finglas, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to attempted robbery of Wei Gao and robbing Carsten Haueis in October 2005.
Judge Katherine Delahunt sentenced Brian Maughan to 6½ years, while Stephen Maughan was given five years. She adjourned Jervis's case to July on condition he remain in a residential drug treatment centre. Garda Raymond Lee told Paul Greene, prosecuting, Mr Haueis was forced into the canal to avoid being attacked, then managed to get out and report the incident.Garda Lee said Jervis admitted his role as well as the earlier attempted robbery of Mr Wei, and warned gardaí Mr Wei was probably still in the water.
The Dublin Fire Brigade rescued Mr Wei. Judge Delahunt said a victim impact report indicated he was very traumatised. She described Mr Haueis as having a "very jaundiced view of this country" since the attack.
She suspended the last three years of Brian Maughan's sentence and the last 18 months of Stephen Maughan's sentence.