Courts

Pair sentenced for burglary in which elderly man was threatened with imitation firearm

Meat cleaver was also used during incident which had profound impact on victim, the court had heard

The men were given sentences of seven and seven and-a-half years, respectively. Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times
The men were given sentences of seven and seven and-a-half years, respectively. Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times
Isabel Hayes
Tue May 07 2024 - 14:44

Two burglars who armed themselves with an imitation firearm and a meat cleaver before robbing an elderly man have been jailed for seven years and seven and a half years, respectively.

Gavin Mangan (47) of Bracken Close, Balbriggan, Co Dublin and Owen Kelly (37) of Seville Place, Dublin 1, pleaded guilty to burglary at a premises close to Kelly’s home on August 20th, 2022.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Mangan was holding an imitation firearm and Kelly was wielding a meat cleaver when they entered the elderly man’s premises and demanded money from him. They made off with €850 in cash, the court heard.

The victim was profoundly affected by what happened, the court heard.

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Sentencing the two men on Tuesday, Judge Pauline Codd said the burglary involved “violence meted out on an elderly man” who feared for his life in the course of the burglary.

She noted Mangan had 93 previous convictions, including burglary, theft and possession of knives, while Kelly has 87 previous convictions.

The court heard both men had difficult childhoods, with Mangan exposed to criminality and drug abuse from a young age. Kelly was diagnosed with lupus as a child and started drug-taking at age 13. Both men have long-standing drug addictions.

There was CCTV footage of the incident, the court heard. Mangan has been in custody since March 2023, while Kelly has been in custody since January this year.

Judge Codd sentenced Mangan to eight years imprisonment with the final six months suspended. She sentenced Kelly to eight years and suspended the final year on a number of conditions.