A man located in Dublin has been imprisoned for four years following a theft offence. Overhearing a female client’s conversation with a bank employee, Joseph Joyce, 31, returned the next day to steal from her.
The incident took place inside an AIB branch in Artane, Dublin. On August 26, 2019, the bank employee encouraged the woman to come back the next day to collect €16,000 in cash, which Joyce heard. Footage of Joyce at the bank during this conversation was obtained via CCTV.
The woman, as advised, returned the next day to collect the money. On her journey home, whilst waiting at a set of traffic lights, an individual shattered her vehicle window, making off with her handbag containing cash, jewellery, and other valuable items.
Joyce, a resident of Springdale Road, Raheny, Dublin 5, initially selected a trial date, however pleaded guilty last month to the theft which occurred at Oscar Traynor Road, Kilmore in Dublin on August 27th, 2019.
Judge Martin Nolan of the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court issued the initial sentence of five to six years during the Wednesday hearing. However, due to Joyce’s rehabilitative actions and familial situation, the charge was decreased to four years.
It was reported to Jane Murphy, the prosecutor, by Garda Pierce O’Dwyer, that on a specific day, the woman had withdrawn €16,000 from AIB in Artane and on her way back, she was being trailed by Joyce and an accomplice in a Ford Focus.
As she waited at a red light, one of the men left the vehicle, approached her car’s passenger side and, with a hammer-covered yellow Marigold glove, broke the window and seized the woman’s handbag. Included in the stolen items were €16,000 in cash, an iPhone valued at €1,200, another $2,000 in cash, €250 worth of vouchers and jewellery roughly valued at €200.
After the theft, the criminals’ car quickly turned around and sped away from the scene. Witnesses immediately alerted the emergency services by dialling 999.
Subsequently, the Ford Focus was pulled over by the Gardaí in Clonshaugh due to a lack of displayed tax, and counterfeit registration plates were found adjacent to the vehicle. A black BMW driven by Joyce’s spouse was used to pick him up. Upon inspection of the vehicle, Gardaí reclaimed €1,200 in pristine banknotes. This amount was given back to the victim, who, however, could not recover the balance cash and remaining stolen items.
Joyce’s criminal record includes 110 prior convictions. Currently serving a four-year sentence set to conclude in January 2026, the court learnt about his background. Hailing from a Traveller community, Joyce dropped out of school at 12 and succumbed to drug and alcohol addiction during his adolescence.
The court acknowledged that he has tackled his addictive behaviours, undergone therapy, and is making commendable progress within Mountjoy Prison. The judge highlighted the profound effects of the crime on the victim, who was reportedly terrified and incurred significant losses. He mentioned that theft accompanied by violence is a severe issue. However, Joyce has been making strides to turn his life around, and a favourable probation report hinted at a promising future for him.