Man found asleep on stolen cash gets suspended sentence

A Dublin man who was found asleep on a pile of stolen cash with his accomplice after an armed robbery of a pharmacy has been given a suspended sentence.

Luke Curry (25) held open the security door of the shop while his accomplice entered the shop. The other man was masked and carrying a kitchen knife.

Curry of Shancastle Avenue, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of the Jobstown Pharmacy, Kiltalawn Way, Tallaght, Dublin on February 12th, 2013.

Judge Desmond Hogan imposed a three-year sentence, which he suspended in full on condition that Curry completes 240 hours community service.

Garda James Ward told Elva Duffy BL, prosecuting, that staff in the pharmacy buzzed a security door open to let Curry in because they recognised him as a customer.

He was closely followed by the armed man who shouted at staff to “give me the money and tablets”. After staff handed over money Curry said to the accomplice: “Come on, let’s get out of here”.

The staff said they were in fear during the robbery, during which €400 was stolen.

As a result of garda inquiries and a local tip off later that day, gardaí­ went to a house near the pharmacy. They looked through a window of the house and saw the two suspects sleeping on a couch inside.

Gardaí­ went in to the house and had to wake the men up. They found €275 of the stolen cash in a pile under where they were lying and arrested both men.

Curry was too intoxicated to be interviewed but he later claimed he was in the pharmacy for innocent reasons. He has 12 previous convictions including one at Tallaght district court for drug dealing.

Sarah Jane O’Callaghan BL, defending, said the father of two is now drug free and has made efforts to turn his life around.