13-year sentence for chronic addict

White pleaded guilty to an aggravated burglary, five counts of robberies, and assisting another in burning a handbag that he knew had been taken in the course of a robbery on dates between May and October 2006.

Judge Katherine Delahunt noted that White was now in drug treatment but said these were serious offences, including one "in which a number of young children were terrorised" and warranted a significant sentence.

Judge Delahunt imposed consecutive sentences totalling 13 years but suspended the final three years.

Garda Jim McDevitt told prosecuting counsel, Ms Roisin Lacey BL, that a single mother was upstairs in her Mulhuddart home on August 21, 2006 putting the youngest of her children to bed when her 13-year-old son answered a knock on the front door.

Garda McDevitt said the woman heard her son running up the stairs screaming that a man was chasing him with a hammer. The boy locked himself into a bathroom and the woman locked herself and her two daughters into a bedroom. The boy later said White also had a knife.

White began banging on doors shouting: "Give me your f*****g car keys and purse."

The woman told White that the car keys were downstairs but he could not find them when he went to look. He managed to get the bedroom door open and the woman went downstairs to get the keys.

She handed over her car keys and purse pleading with White and another man who was holding the front door open not to hurt her. White responded: "Its not you we want, it’s your f*****g daughter."

Garda McDevitt said the woman’s teenage daughter had been in a relationship with White’s brother for a year and she was terrified she would be killed.

White’s home was searched the following day and items taken in the burglary were found. White admitted taking part in the burglary but denied he had a weapon, claiming the second person involved had a shotgun.

Garda Kieran Mullally told Ms Lacey that on searching White’s home on July 20, 2006 they found items from a handbag stolen from a French woman earlier that day. White admitted burning the handbag in his back garden after his brother, who committed the robbery, had asked him to.

Detective garda Joseph Enright told Ms Lacey that White and another man robbed €1,000 from staff in the off-licence department of Superquinn, Tyrellstown after threatening them with a knife and gun.

White also carried out a robbery on Molloy’s Liquor Store, Clonsilla during which he threatened staff with a butcher’s knife and got away with €300. He also robbed €355 from MX Supermarket, Corduff Shopping Centre on May 27, 2006 using the same modus operandi.

White and another man entered Movies 4 U 2 C in the Tyrellstown Shopping Centre with covered faces and jumped over the counter before demanding money from staff. They left with €100 cash.

Garda McDevitt said White, who has 16 previous convictions, came from a large family and lived with a partner and young child in Blanchardstown.

Ms Anne Marie Lawlor BL, defending, said White had co-operated with the gardaí during the investigation and pleaded guilty at an early stage. She said he was now in drug rehabilitation and handed in a letter from White asking Judge Delahunt to structure a sentence to allow him to continue with his drug rehabilitation.