Man who tried to rob shop before taking €350 from another while carrying mallet is jailed

Joseph French (33) pleaded guilty to attempted robbery on July 18, 2021 and robbery on July 21.

Today, French of Neilstown Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 was handed a five year sentence with the final two years suspended on strict conditions.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the attempted robbery occurred at Centra, Kingswood Shopping Centre, at around 1.15pm. A man wearing a dark face covering came up to the till and told the staff member to “give me the f**king money”.

The man, later identified as French, was holding a large knife.

The staff member replied, “What money”. French jumped over the counter, demanding the till was opened while the injured party backed away.

A customer intervened, and then French left the shop without taking any money.

Gardai were called, and CCTV footage was viewed. It showed French entering the shop carrying a Tesco plastic bag, which he left behind. The bag was later analysed, and French’s DNA was identified on it.

Detective Garda Michael McNulty told the court that French was also identified due to an investigation into a separate robbery 30 minutes after the attempted robbery of the Centra.

In relation to the robbery on July 21, the injured party was working at Applegreen in Clondalkin when French came to the door of the till area around 3pm. He said, “Open the door, or I’ll kill you”, then produced a black rubber mallet.

French got access to the till area, then told the staff member to open the till, or he would kill him.

The till was opened, and French took just over €350. The injured party went into the back office, and when he checked a few minutes later, French had left.

Det Gda McNulty said French left a plastic bag behind from which his DNA was identified.

In the wake of this robbery, a property was searched on the same day, and French was found hiding in the attic.

He was arrested, and nothing of evidential value was obtained from an interview in relation to either incident.

Another house was searched by gardai three days later, and the mallet and items of clothing were seized.

The injured parties declined to make victim impact statements.

French has 139 previous convictions. Last December, he was handed a four-year sentence in relation to a robbery committed in 2020 and a consecutive four-and-a-half-year sentence for the second robbery carried out on July 18, 2021.

He has also received a five-year sentence with the final two years suspended in relation to an unrelated count of violent disorder and has an earliest release date in March 2028.

Det Gda McNulty agreed with Luigi Rea BL, defending, that the guilty plea was of value to the prosecution.

It was further accepted that French’s relationship broke down due to his addiction issues, and while he completed residential treatment, he suffered a relapse.

French’s father died when he was 15, and this had a huge impact on him, defence counsel said. The court heard that French has some work history and one child.

A psychological report and other documents were handed to the court.

Mr Rea said these cases were the last matters his client had pending before the courts, and it was hoped French would “knuckle down” while in custody and take advantage of the services available to him.

He asked the court to consider suspending part of the sentence so his client is left with “no illusion that he can’t put a foot wrong” after he is released.

Judge Patricia Ryan noted the aggravating factors included the effect on the injured parties, the use of weapons and that French was on bail at the time of these offences.

The judge said she would take French’s guilty plea, his efforts towards rehabilitation and personal circumstances into account as mitigation.

She directed the sentence imposed today to run consecutive to the four-year sentence French is already serving.