Longford robber with 110 convictions threatened to 'break face' of victim

A Longford thief who followed a man who had withdrawn over €150 from an ATM and threatened him that he would 'break his face' before robbing him has been jailed for five months.

​Joseph McDonagh (39) of of 3 Cluain Ard, Longford pleaded guilty at the local district court to the robbery of a man at Harbour Point in the county town on May 7, 2025

Sergeant Mark Mahon, for the State, said gardaí received a call from a woman reporting that her husband had €160 cash robbed at the front door of his apartment complex at Harbour Point at about 1.30am.

Officers attended the scene and spoke to the complainant who said at about 1.15am he withdrew about €160 from an ATM on Main Street, Longford and he began to walk straight home.

"He noticed on his way home he was being followed by two females and a male.

"When he reached the entrance to the apartment building the male was in the group of three people and they grabbed him and threatened him and he handed over the money."

Sgt Mahon said they warned the injured party they 'would break his face'.

Mr McDonagh has 110 previous convictions including three for robbery.

The court heard the defendant recently appeared in Longford Circuit Court in relation to separate matters and he was sentenced to three years and two months.

Counsel for the defendant, Andrea Callan BL, instructed by solicitor John Quinn, said her client had received a considerable sentence in Longford Circuit Court and she asked Judge Vincent Deane not to extend it.

Ms Callan said there were two probation reports before the court with one dated March 24 last and other April 21 last.

The legal representative stated during his interview with the probation officer Mr McDonagh 'acknowledged and fully accepted responsibility for the offences.

"As the court may know from the list of previous convictions the underscoring behind all of these matters is a fairly long-standing drug addiction and Mr McDonagh has had periods of being drug free but he did relapse shortly before this offence.

"As terrifying as it is for these matters there is context to it. He did say when he was arrested he was sorry for doing it.

Ms Callan, who said she accepted a custodial sentence would be imposed, stated her client is originally from Dublin and he has two teenage children and he had pleaded guilty and cooperated with gardaí.

​"He is serving a very considerable sentence for what I understand is a similar type of offence.

"These offences were committed on bail and I would ask the court would he be able to get help while in custody, but that it wouldn't extend his time in custody."

Judge Vincent Deane said with the 'level' of previous convictions and the nature of the offence it was in the 'higher end' of the district court scale of offending.

He said it was a serious crime but there were extenuating circumstances and he noted Mr McDonagh's guilty plea and imposed five months imprisonment to run consecutively to the current sentence being served.