Robber who tipped taxi driver jailed for six years

A robber who tipped a taxi driver who had “unwittingly” driven him to and from the crime scene has been jailed for six years.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard the taxi man had driven Dean Gray (31) to a number of locations, including XL Flintstones, Baldoyle, Dublin, and that the fare had come to €64.

Detective Garda Darren Burke said Gray went into the shop with his face uncovered, pulled out a “small fishing type knife” and robbed €350.

He then returned to the waiting taxi and handed the driver €70 to cover the fare.

Det Gda Burke said gardaí­ later obtained CCTV footage and fingerprints from the store and a statement from the taxi driver who had “unwittingly” driven Gray to the scene.

Gray, of Buttercup Drive, Darndale, Dublin, came forward on signed pleas of guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery and production of a knife at the shop on May 21st, 2017.

He affirmed signed guilty pleas to robbing €425 using a screwdriver from Petmania, Gulliver’s Retail Park, Northwood, Dublin, on March 17th, 2018.

Gray also affirmed signed guilty pleas to robbing €200 from tanning salon Tan Me on New Cabra Road, Dublin 7 on March 12th, 2018 and a further €300 from the same store on April 10th, 2018.

He came forward on further signed pleas of guilty to robbing €200 from Centz shop on North Circular Road on March 14th, 2018 and attempted robbery, threats to kill and producing an article at Spar, Harts Corner, Dublin 9, on April 10th, 2018.

He also pleaded guilty to robbing €200 cash on James Street, Dublin on April 12th, 2018. He was on bail while he committed this last offence.

Judge Patricia Ryan imposed a three-year sentence for the James Street offence, consecutive to six years in concurrent sentences for the other robberies. She suspended the final three years of the total nine-year sentence on condition he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for three years post-release.

She also ordered he undergo supervision from the Probation Service and engaged with drug addiction treatment, training and employment services.

Garda Deirdre Gill told Monika Leech BL, prosecuting, that Gray committed the second Tan Me robbery ten minutes after the failed Spar raid on April 10th, last year.

Gda Gill and Det Gda Burke both agreed with Karl Monaghan BL, defending, that his client made no attempt to conceal his face in any of the CCTV footage obtained from the shops.

They accepted that Gray had a drug addiction and was robbing to feed his habit.

The court heard Gray has 69 previous convictions, including 21 robberies, four burglaries and public order offences.

Mr Monaghan submitted to Judge Ryan that his client had had a difficult upbringing and was in a vicious circle of homelessness, drug abuse and criminality to fund his addiction.

He said though his client had become institutionalised, he did aspire to employment and wished to get onto residential treatment for his drug problem.