A DUBLIN man has been jailed for six years after a court was told a 69 year old man was bitten and hit in the face with a crutch during a robbery at his home.
The victim, Mr Thomas McGuinness, was rescued by Mr Harry Cullen, who came to his aid and frightened off his two attackers.
Along with arriving gardai, Mr Cullen took up the chase and helped to catch one of the robbers, Anthony Kelly, who had only got 50 metres away from the scene due to a broken ankle, Garda Peter Gilligan told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Kelly (36), of Conway Court, Macken Street, pleaded guilty to robbing Mr McGuinness of £500 and assaulting him, occasioning actual bodily harm, at his home at Dufferin Avenue, South Circular Road, Dublin, on October 22nd, 1995. The court heard Kelly had 14 previous convictions.
Judge Kieran O'Connor said the offences were despicable and the victim had been treated in an appalling fashion. He cited evidence that Mr McGuinness still felt apprehensive on leaving his house to shop.
Noting Kelly told his probation officer he felt his problems stemmed from his now deceased parents' matrimonial disharmony, Judge O'Connor said: "The only thing in your favour is your guilty plea. It appears you have no intention of leading a useful life and you can't blame your parents for their inability to live together."
Judge O'Connor also suggested Kelly should undergo alcohol and drug counselling while in custody.
Garda Gilligan told Mr Paul Coffey BL, prosecuting, the victim was alone in his house at 7 p.m. when Kelly and his accomplice kicked the door in. Kelly had a broken ankle and was on crutches at the time.
Mr McGuinness was repeatedly struck with one of the crutches.
The garda agreed with Mr Cormac Quinn, defending, that most of the blows were struck by Kelly's accomplice, who also bit Mr McGuinness on the thigh. The intruders fled when Mr Cullen intervened, but Kelly did not get far because of his injured ankle.
Mr Quinn said his client came from a tragic background and left school at 16. He worked for a few years before becoming unemployed. Due to debts, he became homeless and got heavily involved in drink and drugs.