Man (26) jailed for mugging 15-year-old boy and stealing backpack

Sonya McLean

A man who attacked a 15-year-old boy after the teenager refused to hand over his backpack has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Conor Stevenson (26), of Abbot Court, Cualanor, Dún Laoghaire, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery in Glenageary, Co Dublin on March 30th, 2021. He has 72 previous convictions including criminal damage and minor assault.

Detective Garda Aoife Lewis told Diana Stuart BL, prosecuting, that the teenager and a friend had been walking to the Dart station when two men approached them and said “give me the bag lads”.

The victim grabbed his backpack and told Stevenson and the other man to “f*** off” but he was grabbed by the neck and pushed to the ground. The teenager hit back in self-defence but he was dragged into nearby bushes where Stevenson continued to assault him.

The teenager gave in telling Stevenson “fine – you can take the bag” before the robbers fled the scene. The boy immediately reported the mugging to a nearby Garda station.

Det Gda Lewis said gardaí analysed CCTV footage from the local area and nominated Stevenson as a suspect. He was arrested and questioned but nothing of evidential value came out of that interview.

Det Gda Lewis agreed with Oisin Clarke BL, defending, that it was “an impulsive robbery” and was not pre-meditated.

Mr Clarke said his client has no family support and was living in homeless accommodation as a child. He said Stevenson has a heroin addiction that he has since attempted to deal with.

Counsel accepted it would have been a terrifying experience for the teenager and said his client had written a letter of remorse.

Judge Martin Nolan said Stevenson “spotted an opportunity” but the teenager did not want to hand over his property and “for his trouble he was attacked”.

The judge said it was a “violent robbery” before he jailed Stevenson for three-and-a-half years.