A serial burglar with over 140 earlier convictions who held a screwdriver to the neck of a major faculty principal throughout an armed raid final 12 months has been sentenced to a few years in jail.
ames Cranny (38) 14 Meadow Crest, Boyle, Co Roscommon, was handed down the sentence at a sitting of Longford Circuit Prison Courtroom this morning following an incident at St Joseph’s Nationwide College, Dublin Street, Longford on August 27, 2020.
Mr Cranny, who pleaded responsible to 2 prices of theft, three prices of tried theft and one cost referring to the possession of a weapon opposite to the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990.
The courtroom heard the accused had been in Dublin on the day of the offence the place he consumed a “cocktail of drink and medicines” together with virtually 80 sleeping and valium tablets earlier than getting off a prepare in Longford shortly after 6pm.
Lower than an hour later, Mr Cranny, who has 70 earlier convictions for housebreaking, interrupted a board of administration assembly on the Longford city nationwide faculty in a bid to steal cash to try to procure extra medication.
The courtroom heard the accused who first grew to become hooked on medication at simply 12 years previous, stormed into the constructing, shouting: “This isn’t a joke, I need €800.”
Armed with a screwdriver and pair of scissors, Mr Cranny approached principal Orla Egan and put a screwdriver to the appropriate hand aspect of her neck.
After being informed by Ms Egan she had no cash, Mr Cranny turned his attentions to native solicitor and board of administration chairperson Frank Gearty.
In an try and diffuse the scenario, Mr Gearty handed Mr Cranny €100 and guided him in the direction of the exit door.
In whole, the accused stole €135 from the Longford-based solicitor and an additional €100 from fellow board member Beatrice Shanley.
The courtroom was additionally informed the latter had the foresight to take images of Mr Cranny through the heist whereas one other board member and native priest, Fr James McKiernan “very cleverly and surreptitiously” managed to contact gardaí on the identical time.
Mr Cranny, who the courtroom heard, had endured a “wretched life” together with his “second dwelling” being Mountjoy Jail, wrote letters of apology to every of his 5 victims.
“It isn’t about what or who I rob, it is about getting my subsequent repair,” mentioned Mr Cranny in response to his actions on the day.
“What I did to threaten folks was no excuse and I deserve what I get.”
In figuring out sentence, Decide Keenan Johnson mentioned the courtroom had an obligation to steadiness the wants of the accused in opposition to the wants of the victims and society at giant.
He mentioned the whole episode had clearly been a “very traumatising and unsettling expertise” for every of the 5 board members current.
Decide Johnston praised the swift and courageous actions of Mr Gearty, Ms Egan and the board’s three different members, saying St Joseph’s NS was lucky to boast such a “caring and dedicated” principal at its helm.
Decide Johnson mentioned the courtroom was additionally required to take note of each aggravating and mitigating components.
The previous, he mentioned, largely centred on how what he termed a “very critical offence” concerned the accused coming into the varsity armed with a screwdriver and scissors.
The holding of a screwdriver to the neck of Ms Egan was “extraordinarily aggravating” and instilled a way of concern in each Ms Egan and people current, added Decide Johnson.
Mr Cranny’s early plea of guilt, his determination to write down letters of apologies to every of his victims and his tough upbringing which resulted in each his mother and father to likewise changing into hooked on medication had been all mitigating components the courtroom needed to contemplate, he mentioned.
He sentenced Mr Cranny to 4 years and 6 months in jail, suspending the ultimate 18 months for a interval of 10 years topic to quite a few circumstances.
They included that the accused enter right into a bond, hold the peace and be of excellent behaviour for 10 years submit launch whereas additionally partaking with the probation companies for 18 months upon the expiry of his sentence.
Decide Johnson additionally ordered Mr Cranny to finish a residential drug remedy course and chorus from each medication and illicit substances for the whole interval of the suspended sentence.
The graduation of the sentence was backdated to January 4, when Mr Cranny first went into custody.
On-line Editors