A recovering drug addict who said he relapsed into drug abuse after he “fell in love” with another drug user has being jailed for eight years for a string of burglaries.
Albert Redmond (44) told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that after his last release from prison he had put in place strategies to avoid relapse in every eventuality except falling in love.
He said entering into a relationship was the last thing he expected. He said at first it was good but he later discovered the person had a crack cocaine problem.
The court heard drugs soon became a feature of the relationship and Redmond embarked on a burglary and theft “crime spree”. Redmond was rearrested and the relationship ended.
Redmond, of Donore Terrace, Brown Street South, Dublin was sent forward to Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on signed pleas of guilty 20 counts of burglary, two counts of criminal damage, three counts of possession of stolen credit cards, theft of a handbag and four counts of deception by using stolen credit cards. He affirmed in court that he did not wish to change his plea.
The offences occurred at locations in south Dublin on dates between October 2019 and March 2020.
Judge Elma Sheahan previously adjourned finalisation of sentencing to allow a probation report be prepared.
Blighted
Today she noted that Redmond's life has been blighted by drugs but said the community has also been “blighted by his behaviour”.
She said he seems to lack the ability or the inclination to change his behaviour. She said this latest spree of crimes, many of which he committed while he was out on bail, reflected how Redmond has lived most of his adult years.
Judge Sheahan imposed a prison sentence of 12 and a half years. Noting he had had some success in becoming drug free and his desire to continue this, she suspended the final four and a half years on conditions that he engage with the Probation Service after his release and continue to engage with drug counselling programmes.
Redmond told the court at a previous hearing that after he last got out of prison he had engaged with services. He said he was doing okay but began to worry about a lack of structure in his days.
He said something he had “never envisioned” happened and he fell in love. He said it had been unexpected and was good at first but it later became clear his partner had a crack cocaine problem which rapidly became a feature of the relationship.
He agreed that once he re-offended he “more or less” gave up hope on himself.
