A heroin addict who "crashed spectacularly" out of a treatment programme pleaded guilty yesterday to 14 syringe-point robberies on shops and on individuals. Sentence on John O'Brien (34), of no fixed address, was adjourned to November 21st at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to allow the State to check if there were outstanding charges against him.
Judge Joseph Mathews said O'Brien faced a severe sentence of about seven to 10 years. This would run consecutively with the almost three years remaining of a reactivated 1992 drugs sentence.
In 1992 O'Brien was given a 3 1/2 year sentence for a drugs offence, but the term was suspended to allow him to continue treatment for his heroin addiction in the Coolmine Therapeutic Community.
"He had the best drug counsellors in the country and he went a very long way through the treatment programme. But he turned his back on all this and these offences are the result," said Judge Mathews. i put O'Brien above and beyond the "serial syringe attacker", the judge added.
O'Brien, a father of one, pleaded guilty to the robberies. which took place between 1996 and April last. Since his arrest for questioning in relation to syringe robberies, O'Brien has served the equivalent of about eight months of the 1992 term.
Det Sgt Michael Cryan, of Store Street Garda station, told Mr Michael O'Higgins, prosecuting, that O'Brien did not wear a mask during the robberies and all but one of the raids, which netted amounts of between £10 and £300, were captured on security video.
The detective said he saw O'Brien during an appearance in the District Court. The defendant was using the name "John Paul Byrne", but he recognised him from footage of the raids.
O'Brien made admissions when shown the video recordings but signed his statement "John Paul Byrne". Det Sgt Cryan said gardai became aware that there were seven outstanding bench warrants for O'Brien's arrest in his own name and three other names.
Garda Kathleen Browne said O'Brien stopped a student on Clonliffe Road on April 9th last and robbed him at syringe-point.
He also frogmarched the man to a bank machine to get more money before forcing him to return to his lodgings where he stole cash from the landlady and from other students.
Mr George Birmingham, defending, said his client was aware he would receive a substantial custodial sentence and asked Judge Mathews to fix a review date for halfway through the term. Mr Birmingham said O'Brien did well in Coolmine and was released into the community to continue his treatment through outpatient visits to Trinity Court, but "crashed spectacularly" as a result of domestic problems. His habit cost him £250 a day.