A brush with the law: Irish robber who used a toilet brush to hold up a bookmakers where he was a regular punter walks free from court with suspended sentence
- Thomas Griffin, 47, was a ‘regular’ at the betting shop BoyleSports in Dublin
- He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the robbery on July 15, 2018
- Griffin took a tray of notes and a bag of coins which contained €500 from shop
An Irish robber who used a toilet brush to hold up a bookmakers has walked free from court with a suspended sentence.
Thomas Griffin, 47, followed staff behind the counter of BoyleSports in Dublin in July 2018 before threatening them with a brush handle he had taken from the toilets, making off with a tray of notes and a bag of coins worth €500.
Griffin, of Ross Road in Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery at the bookmakers on Dame Street.
Griffin was a regular at the shop who had spent most of the day in question gambling there and had even bought one member of staff some chips before deciding to rob it ‘on a whim’, his lawyers said.
Thomas Griffin, 47, (pictured leaving court yesterday) used a toilet brush to hold up a bookmakers and has walked free from court with a suspended sentence
Garda Grace Finnegan told the prosecution that Griffin followed a woman through a staff door just before closing time and demanded money from another woman who was behind the till.
Griffin had got the toilet brush handle that he used to threaten the staff from a toilet in the bookmakers.
Gardai said he took a tray of notes and a bag of coins which contained €500 before he left the betting shop. He was then identified on CCTV.
Griffin has eight previous convictions, including a conviction for the possession of drugs for sale or supply.
In an interview with Gardai after the robbery he said he had serious issues with gambling and he committed the offence on a whim.
Griffin had got the toilet brush handle that he used to threaten the staff from a toilet in the bookmakers (pictured from the outside)
The court heard that Griffin knew staff that worked there and had been using a machine for most of the day.
He left at one point to go and buy some chips for one female staff maker.
The court heard how Griffin had apologised to the victims who worked at the betting shop.
Garda also agreed that Griffin said he thought he had left the toilet brush handle in a taxi.
The judge said that Griffin was familiar with the victims and that he was ‘not in his right mind’ at the time of the incident.
She added that the Probation Service was impressed with his continued efforts to stop gambling.
Judge Sheahan sentenced Griffin to two years imprisonment, but suspended the entirety of the sentence for three years on strict conditions, including that he follow all directions of the Probation Service for 18 months.