Shop workers from three outlets that were looted during the Dublin riots have told a court they experienced fear and panic on the night of the unrest.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard victim impact statements from a staff member at Footlocker on O’Connell Street and from two employees of Lifestyle Sports on Mary Street during the sentencing hearing of Thomas Dannevig (21), reports Breaking News.
Dannevig, of Marram Avenue, Lanestown View, Donabate, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary on November 23rd, 2023. He entered two Footlocker stores on O’Connell Street and Mary Street and a Lifestyle Sports store on Mary Street, taking items.
The court was told Dannevig was not involved in the riots themselves, which erupted after children and childcare workers were attacked on Parnell Street earlier that day, reports Breaking News.
He was identified by members of the public after his image appeared among 99 photographs released of people of interest in the investigation into the Dublin riots.
The court heard that Dannevig acted alone but was part of a wider group who entered the shops, reports Breaking News.
He is not charged with criminal damage relating to the premises and is only being held responsible for his own actions, the court was told.
Defence counsel Karl Monahan BL said Dannevig had been in the city for food with friends and had no criminal intent. He said his client “describes himself as having made an obviously stupid decision in relation to his behaviour on the night”, reports Breaking News.
Dannevig later discarded the items he had taken.
A staff member at Footlocker on O’Connell Street said in her victim impact statement that “life is not the same anymore”, reports Breaking News.
She said she has lived in Ireland for 19 years and considered returning to her home country because she “didn’t feel safe here” after that night.
She said she was “terrified that night as I was in the shop a few minutes before this happened”. She said she cried on the way home, worried about whether she would make it back safely, reports Breaking News.
She said staff feared the shop might never reopen after the riots and were afraid of losing their jobs. She said some employees left Ireland while others took leave from work.
The deputy manager at Lifestyle Sports said she had only recently begun working at the store. She said the atmosphere outside changed “suddenly and drastically”, with the usually busy and noisy street becoming “unnervingly quiet”, reports Breaking News.
She decided to close the shop and staff tried to leave as quickly as possible. She said her heart sank when she heard a loud smashing noise and her only thought was to protect her team.
She said she felt frozen and feared what might happen if people came upstairs, where staff had locked themselves in a room, reports Breaking News.
She described ongoing anxiety and panic afterwards and said she was unable to return to work at the shop.
She said the experience had “shaken me so deeply I no longer felt safe in the space I once was comfortable in” and that she received counselling through work. She said crowded places still make her uneasy and that she now carries a sense of fear she never had before, reports Breaking News.
Another Lifestyle Sports staff member said she did not return to work for several days after the riot and was then afraid to go upstairs in the shop for a week.
She said she experienced panic attacks while closing the shutters and suffered nightmares and flashbacks. She said “anyone involved should be punished for their stupid behaviour that night”, reports Breaking News.
A fourth victim impact statement was provided to the court but was not read aloud.
CCTV footage showed Dannevig moving from one shop to another. The court viewed recordings of his actions in each of the three premises, reports Breaking News.
At the Footlocker on O’Connell Street, Dannevig was seen entering a stockroom with two white baseball caps under his arm before leaving the store carrying four Nike shoeboxes.
About 25 minutes later, he entered the Footlocker on Mary Street, still holding the Nike shoeboxes, reports Breaking News.
He looked around the store, went into the stockroom and then left.
Dannevig then went to Lifestyle Sports, entering the shop still carrying the Nike boxes and other items. The court was told it was difficult to determine exactly what he took from the footage, reports Breaking News.
He picked up a blue Lifestyle Sports bag and filled it with items before leaving with one Nike box and the bag, which the investigating garda said “appears pretty full”.
Dannevig met gardaí by appointment in January 2025. He was interviewed once and made some admissions, reports Breaking News.
He claimed he had been given the items and boxes, but the court was told gardaí do not accept this account.
Dannevig apologised and said he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and not in the right headspace. He has one previous conviction for a minor drugs offence, reports Breaking News.
The garda agreed with Mr Monahan that his client’s early guilty plea was of benefit to the prosecution. A letter of apology from Dannevig was handed to the court along with letters from his family.
Mr Monahan said his client offers a “profound and sincere apology” and is deeply ashamed, reports Breaking News.
He said Dannevig had not considered the impact on shop workers that night but unfortunately became part of a group whose actions caused fear for those affected.
Mr Monahan asked the court to take account of his client’s young age. Dannevig’s mother and stepfather were present in court to support him and were horrified by his actions, reports Breaking News.
Counsel asked the court to consider imposing a suspended sentence. Dannevig is willing to undertake community service and arrived in court with €350, which he would increase by €50 a week if granted more time.
Judge Pauline Codd said she would direct the preparation of a probation report, including an assessment of his suitability for community service, reports Breaking News.
Referring to his youth and prosocial background, she said Dannevig needs to secure employment and “remain on the prosocial path”.
She also said Dannevig needs to save money, “get off any weed” and “look towards becoming self-sustaining and contributing to society”, reports Breaking News.
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