A DRUG ADDICT who mugged a 92-year-old neighbour has been jailed for three years.

James Redmond (25) told gardaí he owed money to drug dealers and stole from the pensioner because she was an easy target.

Deirdre Tobin had just collected her pension in the local post office and arrived home at around 3pm on 9 March 2018. Redmond was waiting for her and grabbed her bag from behind, causing her to fall.

He took all the cash that was in her bag and then ran off. Garda Tony Corcoran said that the victim was lying on her back when he arrived at the scene.

Gardaí identified Redmond from CCTV footage and arrested him at his home in Dunedin Close, Monkstown Grove, Monkstown, Dublin.

He later pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to stealing €487 in cash at Monkstown Grove on 9 March last.

Odd jobs 

Sentencing Redmond yesterday, Judge Melanie Greally said the victim was living on her own and was seen as a soft target. Redmond had gained entry past a security gate because he knew the key code from having done some gardening work in the premises.

She noted that Redmond built up the debt not because of an ongoing drug addiction but as a result of “a few benders” in which he used more drugs than he could pay for.

The court heard Redmond knew the victim by name and had done odd jobs for her.

Judge Greally said the mitigating factors were that Redmond cooperated with gardaí after his arrest and had expressed remorse.

She said the victim’s fall did not appear to be due to any force used by Redmond and that none of his previous convictions were for violent offending. She said Tobin was a very vulnerable woman and people of her age and vulnerability needed to be protected.

Corcoran said Tobin had since entered a nursing home and was unable to provide a victim impact statement.