A man has been sentenced to two years in prison for his role in a robbery during which two teenagers were beaten unconscious after they refused to buy drugs in Dublin city centre last year.
Jordan Lee (25), of Snowdrop Walk, Darndale, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of robbery at Wellington Quay on September 29th, 2022.
The victims, aged 18 and 19, were walking along Wellington Quay when two men approached them and offered to sell them drugs.
Garda Shane McConkey told Mark Lynam BL, prosecuting, that Lee and a co-accused approached the teenagers, who declined their offer of drugs and walked away. They became aware that they were being followed and walked faster, but the men caught up with them, the court heard.
Gda McConkey said Lee struck one of the teenagers on the side of the head, and he fell to the ground semi-conscious. Lee then stamped on his head a number of times.
Meanwhile, Lee’s co-accused struck the second victim, who also fell to the ground and was stamped on the head multiple times.
An Apple iPhone, an ATM card and €10 were taken from the pockets of the two victims as they lay unconscious. Members of the public came to the assistance of both victims, who were taken to hospital.
Less than five minutes after the robbery, both men were seen acting suspiciously in an area known to the gardaí for drug-dealing. They were stopped and searched by gardaí.
I am always looking over my shoulder
Lee’s co-accused was seen throwing away a bank card belonging to one of the victims. An iPhone was also found, and the men said they had just bought it on the quays.
Two victim impact statements were handed into the court and read by counsel. The first statement read: “The incident has had an extremely negative impact on me,” adding: “I feel nervous in public places, and I am always looking over my shoulder.”
The second statement said: “For two weeks after, I had concussion and headaches as I had physical pain which stopped me from enjoying life.”
Gda McConkey agreed with Kieran Kelly BL, defending, that the guilty plea was of benefit to the gardaí and that his client wishes to sincerely apologise to both injured parties.
Counsel said his client does not know why he did it and that he was living in a hostel at the time of the offence. Lee is currently serving a prison sentence and will be due for release in June 2023.
Passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Orla Crowe said this was an unprovoked attack on two young men who were robbed while lying unconscious. She said these young men had the misfortune to encounter the accused and another male while walking on Wellington Quay.
The judge said the accused “stomped on one of the male’s heads three times and the other male five times while they lay unconscious”.
She said both men suffered from concussion, bruising, lacerations and headaches. She also noted that Lee was on bail at the time of the offence.
The judge added: “It is a fortunate state of affairs that these men did not suffer more serious, long-term consequences.”
Judge Crowe took Lee’s early guilty plea, his remorse, his addiction issues and that he was homeless at the time into consideration before sentencing him to two years in prison, which will begin when his current prison sentence expires in June 2023.
