Gardaí identified shop raider by his pink gloves, court hears

An armed shop raider who was later identified by gardaí­ by the pink gloves he was wearing during the attempted robbery has been jailed.

Scott Grant (31) was holding a piece of timber when he threatened staff in one shop in Balbriggan, north Dublin. He ran off when the store manager confronted him with a wooden sweeping brush.

A year later he tried to rob a different shop using a tree branch.

Grant of Pinewood Green Court, Balbriggan, north Dublin pleaded guilty to attempted robbery on December 2016 and attempted robbery on Clonard Street., Balbriggan on April 17th, 2018.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that staff in the first shop gave gardaí ­ a description of the raider's clothing which included pink gloves.

Later that month, Grant was spotted damaging a parking meter to get coins from it to feed his drug habit. A witness told gardaí ­ he was wearing black clothes and pink gloves and a garda later arrested a man fitting that description.

Grant had a hammer down his trousers when picked up by gardaí.

The court also heard Grant carried out a robbery of a woman on September 26th, 2018. He grabbed her handbag and she fell to the ground during the attack.

Judge Patricia Ryan suspended the final two years of a six year prison term on condition he keep the peace and engage with the Probation Service for two years after his release.

Pieter Le Vert BL, defending, said his client was making efforts to deal with his addiction. He has worked all his life as a labourer and is looking for work.