A youth who robbed a Malaysian student has been jailed for his second term of seven years in just over a month at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Paul Brazil (18), of St Mary's Terrace, Dorset Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty to robbing the medical student on January 21st, 1998. He was also jailed for seven years on February 9th last for his role in other robberies.
His brother, Patrick (22), who had 61 previous convictions, was jailed for 10 years on the same occasion for his role in those offences. Both brothers will be released in June 2000 if they have been drug-free for at least nine months before that and have completed educational courses.
Gardai identified the culprits from a security video, and Paul Brazil was arrested later in the day. He has 22 previous convictions dating back to 1995 and admitted his role in the crime.
Mr Brendan Grehan, defending, said his client asked that his time in jail not be increased. No weapons had been used in the crime. He had already put his name down for courses in prison and appreciated the chance Judge Kieran O'Connor had given him. Judge O'Connor said he was impressed that Brazil seemed to be taking his situation seriously and he imposed a seven-year sentence with a review date in June.
Mrs Margaret Brazil told Judge O'Connor at the February hearing she was separated and her sons had been institutionalised since they were nine years old due to her alcoholism. She also had five other children to rear on her own and said her husband, Terry, was currently serving seven years imprisonment for a drugs offence.