13-05-2025
Dublin burglary gang member who carried out raid on suspended sentence spared jail
Hughie Doherty (21) of Sundale Villas, Tallaght, Dublin 24 appeared at a sitting of Mullingar District Court
A jobless Dublin man who was part of a four man burglary gang that broke into a house and stole a large cache of jewellery on the outskirts of a rural midlands village last year has avoided a spell behind bars.
Hughie Doherty (21) of Sundale Villas, Tallaght, Dublin 24 appeared at a sitting of Mullingar District Court charged with carrying out a burglary at Ballintue, Ballynacargy, Westmeath on February 26, 2024.
Doherty, together with two other co-accused, were arrested after a number of Garda units, including the force's helicopter and dog unit pursued a silver VW Golf for over half an hour.
The pursuit culminated in the quartet abandoning their silver-coloured VW Golf getaway car in a rural area of Kilmore close to the Kildare and Offaly border as the gang took to surrounding fields on foot in a bid to evade gardaí.
The contents of the stolen jewellery were found some 48 hours later having been discarded at a location between Milltownpass and Kinnegad.
Hughie Doherty was part of a four man gang that broke into a house in Ballynacargy in county Westmeath last year which resulted in a high speed garda chase involving officers from its helicopter and dog units being drafted in.
A court had previously heard in connection to the appearance of Doherty's co-accused Michael Wall (24), of Greenhills Grove, Tallaght, Dublin 24, how all four were arrested a short time later 'covered in cuts and scrapes' before being taken into garda custody.
Wall is currently on bail and under orders to undertake a probation ahead of an expected reappearance on July 10.
Doherty, meanwhile, it was revealed had completed his own assessment with probation which, defence counsel Andrea Callan BL described as being 'extremely detailed' in its composition.
She told Judge Bernadette Owens how Doherty had being open and candid as to his own involvement in an incident which the accused himself contended was not 'pre-planned or premeditated' in nature.
Ms Callan said its findings provided further insight into her client who was had fallen into a peer group and become 'easily led to his own detriment'.
Hughie Doherty (21) was warned by Judge Bernadette Owens that unless he complied with probation services he would be going to prison.
The court was told Doherty's involvement in the Ballynacaargy raid had coincided in a five week spell in custody, an experience Ms Callan insisted had provided a 'very significant wake-up call' to the father of two.
The results of that period on remand had, according to Ms Callan, stirred Doherty's own desire to re-engage with various support services while also attempting to further his own educational acumen with Dublin inner city facility, St Andrews Education and Training Hub.
Hughie Doherty outside Mullingar Courthouse.
News in 90 Seconds - May 13th
'He has entered a plea of guilty which is of significant benefit and he has followed that through with meaningful engagement with probation services and he has taken his own steps by engaging in pro employment courses that will hopefully get him to a position where he gets himself into full time employment,' she said.
Judge Bernadette Owens, in delivering her verdict, noted Doherty's four previous convictions, one of which detailed how the accused was subject to a suspended six month prison sentence from Bray District Court in September 2023 at the time of the offence.
Hughie Doherty turns his back and pulls a jumper over his head as he makes his departure from Mullingar District Court.
She said the court was also conscious of what she termed as a 'lack of a guiding hand', something which she maintained was further 'relevant factor' that had to be factored in when delivering its sentence.
Judge Owens consequently sentenced Doherty to nine months in prison, suspending the term for a period of 18 months.
However, she warned the accused that if he did not comply with the conditions set out in the probation report, the court would invoke the suspended sentence.
Asked if he understood those potential repercussions, Doherty replied simply: 'Yes Judge.'
Doherty was similarly remanded on bail to a sitting of Bray District Court next Monday (May 19) for the purposes of the 'triggering' suspended sentence he was on at the time of the Westmeath burglary.
