A serial burglar who used beer kegs and pieces of street furniture to smash his way into Dublin city centre businesses has been sentenced to four years in prison.
Terry Ward (36), formerly of Castle Meadows, Trim, Co Meath, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to carrying out burglaries on July 20th, 2024, and February 12th, 2025, reports Breaking News.
On the first date, Ward broke into a premises on Baggot Street and stole two laptops valued at €3,000. He was arrested the following night after being caught trying to sell one of the stolen laptops to a rickshaw driver.
He also broke into the unoccupied home of an elderly woman, stealing her earrings and some medication, reports Breaking News.
Judge Orla Crowe told the court that on the night of February 12th, 2025, Ward went on a burglary spree lasting around three hours in the Dublin 2 area.
Garda Shane McConkey said Ward used a beer keg to smash the window of the Hyde pub on Lennon Street, and caused €2,000 worth of damage by breaking the window of the nearby Duke pub with a piece of street fencing, reports Breaking News.
In one of the incidents, he took a tip jar containing €50 from a pub.
Ward has 176 previous convictions, including 22 for burglary in Ireland and 17 for similar offences in the UK, where he lived for a time. He also has prior convictions for assault and possession of a knife, reports Breaking News.
Gda McConkey told OisÃn Clarke BL, prosecuting, that Ward was intoxicated when arrested. He had been on bail for earlier offences when he carried out six burglaries last February.
Judge Crowe handed down concurrent sentences of two years for the 2024 offences and three years for the 2025 burglaries, to run consecutively, reports Breaking News.
She suspended the final year of the five-year total sentence on condition that Ward keeps the peace and is of good behaviour for two years. She also directed that he engage with the Probation Service for two years after his release, particularly for addiction treatment.
Luigi Rea BL, defending, told the court his client has long struggled with polydrug addiction and mental health issues, asking that the sentence be backdated to last February, as Ward has been in custody since his arrest, reports Breaking News.
Judge Crowe granted the application. After hearing the sentence, Ward, a father of three, told the court that he would appeal the decision, reports Breaking News.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
