HEROIN ADDICT COMMITTED 14 ROBBERIES AT SYRINGEPOINT

A heroin addict who "crashed spectacularly" out of a treatment programme
pleaded guilty yesterday to 14 syringepoint robberies on shops and on
individuals.

Sentence on John O'Brien (34), of no fixed address, was adjourned to
November 21st at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to allow the State to check
if there were outstanding charges against him.

Judge Joseph Mathews said O'Brien faced a severe sentence of about seven to
10 years. This would run consecutively with the almost three years
remaining of a reactivated 1992 drugs sentence.

In 1992 O'Brien was given a 3 1/2year sentence for a drugs offence, but
the term was suspended to allow him to continue treatment for his heroin
addiction in the Coolmine Therapeutic Community.

"He had the best drug counsellors in the country and he went a very long
way through the treatment programme. But he turned his back on all this and
these offences are the result," said Judge Mathews. Gardai put O'Brien
above and beyond the "serial syringe attacker", the judge added.

O'Brien, a father of one, pleaded guilty to the robberies which took place
between 1996 and April last. Since his arrest for questioning in relation
to syringe robberies, O'Brien has served the equivalent of about eight
months of the 1992 term.

Det Sgt Michael Cryan, of Store Street Garda station, told Mr Michael
O'Higgins, prosecuting, that O'Brien did not wear a mask during the
robberies and all but one of the raids, which netted amounts of between
[pounds]10 and 300, were captured on security video.

The detective said he saw O'Brien during an appearance in the District
Court. The defendant was using the name "John Paul Byrne", but he
recognised him from footage of the raids.

O'Brien made admissions when shown the video recordings but signed his
statement "John Paul Byrne". Det Sgt Cryan said gardai became aware that
there were seven outstanding bench warrants for O'Brien's arrest in his own
name and three other names.

Garda Kathleen Browne said O'Brien stopped a student on Clonliffe Road on
April 9th last and robbed him at syringepoint.

He also frogmarched the man to a bank machine to get more money before
forcing him to return to his lodgings where he stole cash from the landlady
and from other students.

Mr George Birmingham, defending, said his client was aware he would receive
a substantial custodial sentence and asked Judge Mathews to fix a review
date for halfway through the term. Mr Birmingham said O'Brien did well in
Coolmine and was released into the community to continue his treatment
through outpatient visits, but "crashed spectacularly" as a result of
domestic problems. His habit cost him [pounds]250 a day.