Dean Lyons, who spent nine months in custody before being cleared of involvement in the Grangegorman killings, has been given a seven-year sentence for his role in two Temple Bar robberies.
But Judge Cyril Kelly, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, directed Lyons to enter a residential drugs rehabilitation course at the Merchant's Quay Project at 2 p.m. today.
He will review the sentence on November 23rd.
Lyons (25), of Castlepark, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to stealing video equipment worth £700 from Mr Mike O'Neill at Crown Alley in Dublin on April 22nd, 1997. The item was recovered. He also admitted stealing £30 cash from Mr Peter Jennings at Capel Street on May 10th, 1997.
Both offences involved other culprits and happened early in the morning. Syringes were used to threaten the victims.
Judge Kelly said the crimes were "extremely nasty".
Nobody should have syringes pressed at them and it would be very simple just to lock Lyons up and throw away the key.
But he added that penalising defendants was only one aspect of the sentencing process and if he were to send Lyons into custody at this stage, it would wreck the rehabilitation process he himself had begun.
Mr Alan Dooley, of the Merchants Quay Project, said a bed had become available immediately and Lyons could be given a residential place without delay. After a 16-week course there was a further 12 month-supervisory period.
Ms Iseult O'Malley, defending, said Lyons had been in custody from July 26th, 1997 when he was charged with murdering one of the two women killed during a frenzied knife attack at a house in Grangegorman. That charge was dropped in the District Court on April 29th.
Ms O'Malley said Lyons had been on remand at Arbour Hill since July 26th and was drug free. He was living again in the family home. His family had always maintained contact with him even when he was living rough following friction due to his drug abuse.
Ms Una Ni Raifeartaigh, prosecuting, told Judge Kelly the Director of Public Prosecutions had no hesitation in withdrawing the murder charge and Lyons was no longer a suspect in the case.
She said the murder investigation was continuing. The court was told Lyons had one previous conviction for burglary dating back to 1994 and served under half of a six-month sentence imposed by Rathfarnham District Court.