A woman whose violent mugging was brought to an end by an off-duty garda who happened to be running nearby has been jailed for three years.
Megan Creighton (34) of Corduff Crescent, Blanchardstown, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery on the Old Navan Road on December 3rd, 2020. A male accomplice, Creighton’s partner at the time, has yet to be dealt with by the courts.
Garda Ross Doyle told John Berry BL, prosecuting, that the victim was walking along the canal on the Old Navan Road when he was approached by a couple who asked him for a cigarette. He was wary of them, and they then immediately demanded money from him.
The man was pushed to the ground and struck a number of times while the couple demanded both his phone and wallet from him.
Screwdriver
Gda Doyle said Creighton made a “specific demand of him” and she then bit the man’s nose. He bit her finger in an attempt to stop her at which point Creighton told her accomplice to “take out the knife and f**king knife him”.
Creighton’s accomplice then produced a screwdriver and hit the victim about the head with it. The victim managed to get to his feet and run away, but the couple chased after him and again tackled him to the ground.
Gda Doyle said the attack escalated again, but an off-duty garda happened to be jogging nearby, and he ran over to intervene. He called for a back-up, and although the muggers ran off, they were later caught and arrested.
Gda Doyle told Mr Berry that “a considerable degree of damage” was done to the victim’s face, and he was left with marks around his neck which was caused by the screwdriver attack.
Photographs of his injuries were handed into court as was a victim impact statement, but it was not read out.
Creighton later claimed in interview that she had been grabbed by a man that night and attacked. She said the attacker bit her finger and she was shouting for help.
Mother of five
Creighton is a mother of five, has rehabilitated from a heroin addiction and has 17 previous convictions, none of which involve violent offences.
Gda Daly agreed with Kevin Roche BL, defending, that Creighton suffered domestic violence at the hands of her co-accused.
Mr Roche said Creighton began drinking when she was a young girl to cope with trauma she had experienced. She had been doing well in education previous to that, but counsel said she has started a writing course while in custody and has since won a writing competition.
Counsel said his client accepts that it was a horrible offence and added that both she and her accomplice had decided together to rob this man because they needed money for drugs.
Judge Martin Nolan said it was a very violent robbery and added, “thankfully an off duty garda became involved”.
He acknowledged Creighton’s expression of remorse and the fact that she is doing well in prison. “She has plenty to offer but she deserves a custodial term. Nobody can attack in this way without getting a custodial sentence,” Judge Nolan said before he jailed Creighton for three years.
