A judge has sentenced a bicycle thief who told his victim he could get his €100 mountain bike back “for a tenner or a fag”, reports Breaking News.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford gave Declan Sherlock (30) of no fixed abode in Ennis a prison term of two years and two months, with the final four months suspended, for the broad daylight robbery, reports Breaking News.
Mr Sherlock admitted to stealing the mountain bike from Prince Shonibare on August 12th, 2025, at Turnpike Road, Ennis.
Under the influence of crack, prescribed methadone, and alcohol, Mr Sherlock was armed with a bottle and threatened Mr Shonibare, though he did not carry out any physical violence, reports Breaking News.
Prince Shonibare was unharmed during the five-minute encounter in which Mr Sherlock told him he could reclaim the bike if he gave him “a tenner or a fag”.
Judge Comerford described the offence as serious because Mr Sherlock had used an improvised weapon and threatened violence over several minutes, reports Breaking News.
The bicycle has not been recovered.
The judge added that Mr Sherlock’s crime “was spur of the moment” and that it “became serious when he offered violence”, reports Breaking News.
Judge Comerford noted that the case was not at the lower end of robbery offences.
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Mr Sherlock’s lawyer, Amy Nix BL, said her client — who has 137 previous convictions — completed a Crime Awareness course while in prison, reports Breaking News.
Ms Nix said that now “is make or break” for Mr Sherlock.
She added that while on remand in Limerick Prison awaiting sentencing for the €100 bike robbery, Mr Sherlock completed a Crime Awareness course, which “has given him insight into the impact his actions have had on the victims of crime and he has taken a lot of positive learnings from that”, reports Breaking News.
Ms Nix said that Mr Sherlock’s life has been blighted by chronic addiction.
She added that he is “very ashamed” of his actions on the day and could not clearly remember the incident because he was intoxicated at the time, reports Breaking News.
Ms Nix said that Mr Sherlock “has had six long months in Limerick prison to reflect on the events of that day”.
She also said that Mr Sherlock’s mother, Tina, died during a routine appendix operation when he was 13, reports Breaking News.
Ms Nix said that he was one of 14 siblings and after his mother’s death “he turned to cannabis and tablets to relieve grief and his life took a wrong turn”.
She added that Mr Sherlock — now a father of four — began taking heroin at age 18, reports Breaking News.
Ms Nix said that Mr Sherlock lost an older sister, Charlene, in 2020 at age 29, “and she was like a second mother to him”.
She noted that because of poor decisions around that time, he was in custody and could not attend Charlene’s funeral mass, reports Breaking News.
Ms Nix said that he also lost a brother, Jimmy, in tragic circumstances in 2013.
She concluded that Mr Sherlock has used his time in custody productively and, along with completing the Crime Awareness course, plans to start a Red Cross course in the coming weeks, reports Breaking News.
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