Drug addict demanded money with menaces from woman (64)

A Dublin drug addict who was used by “more sinister parties” to demand €5,000 from a woman has received a three-year suspended sentence.

Garda Dermot English said Desmond Russell (44) went to the victim’s home to collect the money after another male had delivered a menacing handwritten letter earlier that day.

Russell, of Rafter's Road, Drimnagh, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to demanding money with menaces at the 64-year-old woman's home on June 15th, 2014.

He has 56 previous convictions, including 34 social welfare fraud offences for collecting his brother’s State benefits.

The garda told Caroline Cummings, prosecuting, that the letter referred to the woman’s son and her partner’s van, and warned her not to call gardaí as her home was being watched.

He said the letter instructed the woman to have €1,000 that evening and the remaining €4,000 the following day for collection.

The man who had delivered the letter gained access to the house by claiming someone had given him money in an envelope to pass on to the victim.

Russell showed up at the house later that evening and told the woman: “It’s not me, I’m here to collect the money.”

He left when the woman informed him she had already contacted gardaí, who were now dealing with the case.

The garda said the woman’s partner saw Russell telling people in a car “There’s no f***ing money up there” on his way back from the house.

Russell later told gardaí­ he had been asked simply to collect an envelope of money.

The garda agreed with Luigi Rea, defending, that Russell had no reading or writing skills.

Mr Rea submitted to Judge Martin Nolan that his client was "deeply ashamed of what he did".