Man who robbed bookmaker's has sentence adjourned
A cocaine addict who robbed a bookmaker's shortly after filling out a lost docket form with his real name and address has had his sentence adjourned at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Stephen Mooney (aged 32), of Cappagh Avenue, Finglas, pleaded guilty to robbing €1,600 cash from Ladbrookes, Grove Road, Finglas on April 25, 2005.
Judge Patricia Ryan adjourned sentencing to allow a probation report be prepared.
Detective Garda John O’Hare told Ms Roisin Lacey BL, prosecuting, that Mooney had been in the bookmaker's early in the day betting and had lost a docket so he filled out a form with his name and address to claim it back.
Detective Garda O’Hare said Mooney later returned, approached the counter, where he was recognised by the staff member, pushed a Centra bag through the security bars and pointed a gun at her.
Mooney called the woman by name and told her: "Put the money in the bag, I don’t want to hurt you."
The woman put cash into the bags and Mooney left the store. Gardaí later searched his house and found clothes matching the description of the robbers in his bedroom and a Centra bag, cap and gloves under the floorboards.
Mooney initially denied involvement but later made admissions to gardaí telling them he had taken a mixture of cocaine, ecstasy and alcohol that day and was "high as a kite". He said he had gone home after the robbery, changed his clothes, smashed up the pellet gun and then gone out drinking.
Defence counsel, Mr William Galvin BL, said Mooney was a long-term drug addict who had recently got his first job since leaving school aged 14 and was in a long-term relationship with the mother of his child.
Mr Galvin said Mooney still had difficulties with cocaine but "the horizon was not entirely bleak" and he was attending the Wellmount clinic for drug treatment.
