Grandfather gets five years for raiding elderly coupe’s home

A drug addict grandfather who was part of a masked gang that raided an elderly couple’s home has been jailed for five years.

Garda Paul O’Hara described grandfather-of-three Patrick Ryan (50) as a “foot soldier” to a “more serious individual” who planned the raid. The four masked men tied up James Mountaine and his wife, beat them and threatened them if they didn’t tell them where to find money. A friend, who had been on the phone to Mr Mountaine as the raiders entered the room, heard the whole ordeal and called gardaí.

The friend went to the home and interrupted the attack by ringing the doorbell.

Ryan, of South Circular Road, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting James and Sally Mountaine, threats to kill and stealing US$4,000 and jewellery at Ashfield, Templeogue, on February 3rd, 2010.

He has 38 previous convictions, including nine years in prison for larceny in 1997 and four years for robbery in 1982. Judge Patricia Ryan suspended the last two years of a seven-year sentence. She said the threat to set the woman on fire was an aggravating factor.

The couple, who were then aged in their mid-70s, were preparing to go out when the raiders entered the house. Mr Mountaine had been on the phone to a friend about playing golf and his wife was about to leave for mass. The masked men handcuffed the couple and put them face down on the floor.

They tied Mr Mountaine’s ankles to his wrists and threatened to burn his wife and kill them if he didn’t tell them where to find money in the house.

The men told Mr Mountaine they knew he worked at the local golf club and brought money home. He replied that he had no access to the club money. They beat him until he told them about US$4,000 he had saved over a number of years.

When the doorbell rang, the raiders fled into neighbouring gardens. They also smashed the windscreen of a car as they fled. Mr O’Brien said that his client’s guilty plea was a demonstration of his remorse. He said his client had no exit strategy from the raid and described his behaviour when caught by gardaí as “completely amateurish.”