Two men who had been jailed for 20 years for aggravated burglary at the home of Mark and Emma Corcoran and their 3 children in Co. Tipperary, have had their jail sentences reduced.
The 2 men who had pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary at the Corcoran home in Burnchurch, Killenaule in November 2013, and who now have had their sentences reduced are:-
(1) Mr Patrick Gately, aged 28, with an address at Primrose Grove, Darndale, Dublin 17, who had 85 previous convictions, had previously been sentenced to 20 years, with four suspended.
(2) Mr Dean Byrne, aged 22, with an address at Cabra Park, Dublin 17, and who had 120 previous convictions, was also, prior to today’s appeal, given a sentence of 20 years, with four years suspended.
The gang had been found guilty on October 1st, 2015, of breaking into the Corcoran home, armed with a sawn-off shotgun, a handgun and a machete, (Latter a broad bladed implement used in combat, like a short sword). Mr Mark Corcoran had suffered a fractured eye socket and a broken nose, from a blow from one of the raiders guns. This had resulted in him later undergoing four separate surgeries in an effort to reconstruct his face. The children, who were present in the house at the time of the robbery, were also threatened with death.
This attack, combined with numerous others robberies on those resident in rural Ireland, eventually lead to a meeting of some 2000 unhappy Tipperary people, in the Anner Hotel, in October 2015. The purpose of this meeting; to rebuke the then FineGael /Labour Government over the lack of Garda resources in Co. Tipperary. The meeting in turn led to the setting up by An Garda Síochána of ‘Operation Thor’, sanctioned by government in November 2015.
Today, at the Court of Appeal, both of the above named had their sentences reduced by 2 years with the final four suspended. Both men were among 7 others, namely; Patrick Joyce, aged 21, from Beaumont Hall, Beaumont Woods, Dublin 9; John Joyce, aged 19, from Lentisk Lawn, Donaghmede, Dublin; Michael McDonagh, aged 22, from Tara Lawns, Belcamp Lane, Coolock, Dublin 5; Thomas Flynn, aged19, Moatview Avenue, Coolock, Dublin 5, and Donal O’Hara, aged 21, from Glin Park, Coolock, Dublin 5; who had also pleaded guilty to the crime.
Appeals from the remaining gang members, above named, were dismissed.
THE JUDGE MUST BE SICK
If the Judge listened to the children in that house screaming for there lives, he might have thought twice. This is the twisted courts we have in this country. How any Judge in this country could do this is a Joke ? I hope it never happens to his son or daughter. I am not going to let this go, we the people of Ireland want answers from our present Courts. What sort of a House is he running and Mrs Fitzgearld what is she going to do about this and her bullshit.