Many people on social media claim that “real criminals” are allowed back on the streets while this young man was been given hard jail time for lesser crimes.
A young man was sentenced to three and a half years in prison for “enthusiastically” participating in the Dublin riots, robbing stores and assisting in the destruction of an abandoned garda car and bus, reports Breaking News.
The second person charged with the riots, which occurred in Dublin city centre on November 23, 2023, after a kid was stabbed outside her school, is Kyle Lawrence, 19, of Lurgan Street, Dublin 7.
That evening, Lawrence entered a guilty plea to one count of trespassing and stealing at Arnotts, Henry Street, and two charges of violent disturbance in the city centre, reports Breaking News.
He participated in the Dublin riots for two and a half hours that evening, from 6:30 to 9:00. He’s had many minor convictions in the past.
A number of CCTV clips that were shown in court showed Lawrence hurling objects at public order units, including a black bag of trash; hurling a fire extinguisher at a garda car that had been abandoned and later caught fire; and kicking and striking an abandoned Dublin bus with a broken wing mirror, reports Breaking News.
Detective Inspector Ken Hoare informed prosecutor George Burns BL that this bus later caught fire as well.
After that, surveillance showed Lawrence leaving Footlocker with a shoe package after entering many stores, including Asics.
Then he was spotted going into Arnotts without anything, lowering a security screen before continuing into the store, reports Breaking News.
Following his smashing of a fire extinguisher at a Penneys window on Mary Street, Lawrence entered Lifestyle Sports on Mary Street and was observed leaving and returning many times while carrying bags. At this point, he was wearing a red baseball cap.
Finally, CCTV evidence showed him entering JD Sports with nothing and then departing with some clothes.
Detective Inspector Hoare stated that gardaí searched through “thousands of hours” of CCTV video of the night before identifying Lawrence. He was frequently shown in the video with his face exposed and without his hood on, reports Breaking News.
Lawrence made complete confessions when he was arrested in January 2024 and told gardaí that he was “just following the crowds” that evening.
The defence attorney, John Berry SC, stated that his client had just turned 18 on the relevant day. He pointed out that throughout the two and a half hours of “extreme lawlessness,” his client was plainly recognised, reports Breaking News.
According to him, Lawrence did not start the violence, did not encourage others to join on social media, and did not engage in acts of violence against others.
“He was nosey and became swept up in it,” Mr Berry said, reports Breaking News.
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