A RECOVERING DRUG addict who mugged two German tourists at knife point has received a suspended sentence after a judge said he was well on the way to rehabilitation.

Dubliner Sean Carroll (35) held a barber shop-style razor up at two tourists, one of whom had fallen on the ground after her bicycle got caught on the Luas track.

Carroll of Ely Close, Old Court, Tallaght pleaded guilty to two charges of attempted robbery at St Stephen’s Green West on 23 June 2017. He has previous convictions for theft offences.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Carroll had gone up to the tourists and said “give me €20 or I’m going to stab you” while showing them the razor blade.

The tourists were extremely frightened and called gardaí and moved away from Carroll but he came back and repeated his demands and they gave him money.

Judge Greally noted that at the time Carroll was in a period of extreme drug abuse involving cocaine and heroin.

Since these offences he has made extremely radical improvements in life and is now living in accommodation under the Peter McVerry Trust, the court heard. Judge Greally said he had completed residential drug treatment and was now drug free.

“He is well on the road to full rehabilitation,” she said.

She imposed concurrent four year sentences for each robbery and she suspended these terms on condition he engage in offence and victim awareness work with the Probation Service.

Carroll also pleaded guilty to a separate offence of assault causing harm, committed outside a pub in Kilmacud, south Dublin on 19 February 2017.

The court heard he was severely intoxicated and he and another man were trying to get back into the pub after being thrown out. 

Carroll broke a bottle and then began punching this other man on the side of his face. The victim was left with a small scar on his face but downplayed his injuries in statements to gardaí.

Judge Greally imposed a two and a half-year prison sentence for the assault which she also suspended on condition he keep the peace for that period.