Teenager gets prison sentence for city house burglaries

Gary Cronin, of 14 Droim Chaoin, Bishop O’Donnell Road, was due for release yesterday after serving another sentence imposed last March for previous  burglaries.

However, he went straight back to prison after he pleaded guilty to five more burglaries and the thefts of cars from some of the homes between last October and January this year.

Gary Cronin, a father of one, who has 53 previous convictions, 26 of which are for burglaries, pleaded guilty to breaking into homes in Dangan, Renmore Park, Tuam Road, Murrough and Sceilig Ard.  

Four of the homes were occupied at the time of the break-ins.

Cronin took car keys and stole cars from people’s driveways.

All of the cars were subsequently recovered, but other items such as expensive laptops and mobile phones aswell as money were never recovered.

Defence solicitor, Sarah O’Dowd said Cronin had started taking valium, alcohol and cannabis from the age of 11 and had had a difficult childhood.

Judge Mary Fahy said she knew Cronin well and had given him chances in the past.

She sentenced him to a total of 20 months in prison and disqualified him for six years for driving the stolen cars without insurance.