Man jailed for using imitation firearm to rob banks
A film industry worker who used a film set imitation firearm to rob banks and post offices to fund his heroin habit and repay drug ‘debts’ has been given a five year sentence by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Stephen Kingston (aged 34) left empty-handed from his final escapade at a post office after demanding "Give me the money" and pointing the fake gun at a staff member who told him: "You are getting nothing, shoot."
He was arrested a few minutes later in possession of a blank firing pistol from a film set after asking Garda Terry Gleeson for directions to the Department of Finance following his failed robbery of the nearby Merrion Row post office on November 11, 2006.
Kingston, of Heytesbury Lane, Ballsbridge, who worked part-time in film production and editing, pleaded guilty to three robberies, an attempted robbery and production of an imitation firearm between September 2003 and November 2006 at post offices and banks in the south city area.
Judge Katherine Delahunt suspended the final year of the sentence and said married father of one Kingston was an intelligent man who was well aware of the consequences of his actions. She noted he had entered an early guilty plea and had co-operated with gardaí.
Kingston told defence counsel, Mr Luigi Rea BL, he had run up "considerable" financial debts after he developed a heroin habit in 1997 was "deeply sorry" for the trauma he had inflicted in his robberies.
Gda Gleeson told prosecuting counsel, Mr Vincent Heneghan BL, he was in the Merrion Row area responding to a woman who saw a man acting suspiciously by changing out of his clothing nearby when Kingston approached him and asked for directions to the Department of Finance.
The woman indicated he was the man she had seen changing his clothes and he arrested Kingston who admitted his attempted robbery and said he needed the money because he was in financial trouble.
Kingston got away with €3,745 when he robbed the Bank of Ireland headquarters on October 12, 2006, using the imitation gun.
He also carried out two robberies at the post office on the Shelbourne Road in 2006. Kingston told staff on his first visit there on June 8: "Listen girls, I am sorry I had to do this but I am short of money."
He returned to the same premises, wearing builders clothing and his face covered with a dust mask on August 15, 2006, produced the imitation gun to two staff members and made off with €6,270.
Kingston told gardaí after his arrest that he had carried out his first robbery on September 22, 2003 at the AIB in Ballsbridge, using the same modus operandi and getting away with €3,287.
Mr Rea said Kingston was involved in seasonal work in the film industry in editing and production of films and had begun to work in the industry again. He accepted he had "terrorised and terrified" staff who did not know he was using an imitation firearm and had entered an early guilty plea.
