Burglar who stole garda uniform from Dublin Castle office jailed

Declan Brennan

A burglar broke into the garda roads policing office in Dublin Castle by getting in through an emergency exit, a court has heard.

On August 22nd, 2020, Myles Howe (49) broke into an official garda locker and stole handcuffs, a radio, pepper spray and items of garda uniform.

He was later tracked on CCTV footage where he was seen trying to hide the stolen property in some grass and a bin. The radio and handcuffs were found by gardai searching this area.

Gardaí identified Howe and went to his home at Carmen Hall, Dublin 8, where they found the garda uniform items.

Howe pleaded guilty to trespass and theft at Dublin Castle. His previous convictions include burglary, theft, assault and criminal damage.

Howe also pleaded guilty to burglary of a flat on Dawson Street, Dublin city on October 3rd, 2021. He was on bail for the Dublin Castle break in at the time of this offence.

The case originally came before Dublin District Court where the Director of Public Prosecutions had consented to summary disposal.

Judge Brian O’Shea refused jurisdiction and sent the case forward to the Circuit Court, saying: “This was in Dublin Castle itself, I can’t understand for the life of me how the DPP thinks that is a minor offence.”

Rebecca Smith BL, defending, said her client had a long-standing drug addiction problem but was taking steps to rehabilitate.

At a sentence hearing on Tuesday, Judge Martin Nolan said that Howe had a long record of committing burglaries and seemed to have difficulty stopping.

Judge Nolan said Howe had spotted a weakness in Dublin Castle and that both of the burglaries were opportunistic.

He accepted that Howe is trying to change his ways. He suspended the final year of a 42-month prison term.