A MAN who lunged at pedestrians with a broken bottle and robbed a man at knife point in Limerick City was given a suspended jail sentence.
Brendan Clune (54), of Merchant’s Square, Ennis, County Clare, travelled by taxi from Clare to Limerick to buy drugs, but didn’t pay the €80 fare and went on a rampage, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard.
At the time Mr Clune was in the throes of a serious alcohol and drug addiction, it was heard.
Clune had 41 prior convictions including for being found in possession of drugs for sale or supply, breach of a domestic violence order, burglary, criminal damage, and theft.
Judge Colin Daly agreed with Clune’s barrister Yvonne Quinn BL that society and Clune himself would be best served if he was not given an immediate custodial sentence.
He concluded that Clune be allowed to continue on his current path of sobriety and engagement with addiction services and social and mental health supports.
In mitigation, Ms Quinn had argued that the State, which brought the prosecution against Clune, had accepted he was “mentally unwell at the time”.
Ms Quinn said Clune expressed “shame, remorse, and insight” into his offending.
Judge Daly said he was satisfied that a headline prison sentence of three years was appropriate, which he reduced to a one-year sentence fully suspended for two years.
The judge said he had taken into consideration Clune’s guilty pleas and successful efforts at sobriety, however noted that a psychiatric assessment report of Clune “does not suggest he was mentally unwell, and is somewhat contradictory to a probation report”.
“However, I’m satisfied that the greater service to society is maybe ensuring he remain sober and continue on the path he is on,” added the judge.
Prosecuting barrister John O’Sullivan, instructed by Limerick City State Solicitor Padraig Mawe, told the court that Clune pleaded guilty to offences dated April 4, 2024, including making off without payment of a taxi fare, possession of broken bottle, possession of a Stanley knife, and theft of €40 from a man in Limerick City.
Clune had taken a taxi from Ennis to Limerick at 2am on the morning in question and fled without paying the €80 cab fare after it reached its destination.
Gardaí later searched Clune after observing him running away from a man he robbed on the street and found him in possession of the knife.
The victim told Gardaí that Clune asked him for some money so he could stay at a hostel and when the man took out his wallet, Clune told him: “I want thirty quid, I’ve a blade on me.”
When the victim, who said he was “in fear” for this life, handed Clune €30 cash, but Clune then told the man, “no, I want 40 euros now”, and the victim gave him another €10.
Clune then ran past Gardaí who were walking nearby and he was arrested.
“In the words of the late Mr Justice Paul Carney, it was a crime committed at the elbow of a policeman,” said Mr O’Sullivan.
Gardaí also harvested CCTV footage which showed Clune smashing a glass bottle and running at members of the public in the city threatening them with it. He was also seen kicking the door of a shop premises.
Judge Daly said Clune had “lunged” at pedestrians with a broken bottle “that he had weaponised”.
The judge said he would consider activating the one-year sentence if Clune comes to the attention of Gardaí over the next two years.
– Court Reporting Scheme