A man who was sexually abused as a child in a religious institution has received an eight-year suspended sentence for crimes including kidnap and attempted robbery which he committed to help his mother pay for funerals.
Judge Donagh McDonagh at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court said he was taking a risk in suspending the sentence, but said "this case distinguishes itself significantly from so many others that come before this court".
Anthony Foley (31), of Lourdes Road, Maryland, Rialto, Dublin, pleaded guilty to handling stolen property and unlawful use of a vehicle at Stepaside on January 25th, 2005, as well as attempted robbery and two counts of false imprisonment at Jamestown Road, Inchicore, on October 12th, 2005.
Det Garda Denise Banbury told Seán Gillane, prosecuting, that two delivery men unloading a truck full of cigarettes were pushed face down by a gunman onto the floor of a van which was then driven off.
Gardaí in a passing patrol car noticed suspicious activity and followed the van, which stopped to allow two of the raiders to run away.
The court heard that Foley's father committed suicide in the Phoenix Park leaving a wife and 10 children when Foley, then 11, was in an institution in Clonmel for not attending school. He was sexually and physically abused in Clonmel, and his case is currently before the redress board.
Dr Brian McCaffery told Judge McDonagh that Foley had suffered and witnessed "horrific abuse" at the Clonmel institution where he received the message that he would end up in Mountjoy and then "set about proving that".
He became a heroin addict and had 29 previous convictions for car theft, robbery, assault, criminal damage, drugs and traffic offences.
Foley had been released from prison after serving five years of an eight-year sentence when his brother died. He told gardaí he was first approached at his brother's funeral to "do a job" but refused.
His sister died a short time later, and he was again approached at her funeral and agreed to commit his crimes as he needed money to help his mother pay for two funerals.
Judge McDonagh said Foley had been "subjected to a regime of astonishing brutality" and imposed a number of conditions on the suspension of the eight-year sentence, including weekly signing on at a Garda station and continued counselling.