One of two men who burgled the home of publican Mark Grainger, terrorised two of his daughters, and later burgled the home of a 60-year-old man has been jailed for six years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Patrick Lynch (27), of Roseglen Road, Kilbarrack, and his co-accused, Simon O'Connor (24), of Clanawley Road, Donnycarney, both Dublin, pleaded guilty to burglary of Mr Grainger's home in Portmarnock and the theft of his car on March 7th, 2004.
Lynch was jailed for three years for this offence and a received a consecutive three years for a burglary he committed while on bail for the Grainger burglary. He pleaded guilty to burgling the home of Fred Williams, also in Portmarnock, on May 29th, 2004.
O'Connor has been remanded in custody until May 25th to allow urinalysis to be carried out before sentencing. Damian Colgan, defending, told the court that O'Connor, who has 23 previous convictions, is a heroin addict.
Det Garda Brian Pentony told Vincent Heneghan, prosecuting, that Lynch and O'Connor entered the home of Mr Grainger in the early hours of March 7th, 2004.
Mr Grainger's daughter, Caroline (22), was woken as the two men came into her bedroom. Lynch put his hand over her face, told her to stop screaming, and pulled the covers over her head.
The men took her laptop, mobile phone, €500 and jewellery before entering the bedroom of her 14-year-old sister.
Lynch told the young girl: "Shut up, don't speak, I won't hurt you, pull the covers over your head." The men took more jewellery.
Lynch and O'Connor then took the keys of Mr Grainger's car in which they made their escape. Gardaí were able to identify them from CCTV footage.
Mr Grainger told Judge Joseph Matthews his daughters had been terrorised, and were unable to sleep in the rooms for some time.
Garda Donal O'Connell told Mr Heneghan that Mr Williams woke up to find Lynch in his bedroom two months later. Lynch threatened Mr Williams with a penknife, and took his mobile phone before leaving the house.
Judge Matthews suspended the last 15 months of Lynch's jail terms on condition he enter a drug rehabilitation programme.