Longford man jailed for ‘sinister’ act of stealing from ‘vulnerable’ victim

A man who demanded €20 a week from a vulnerable person's disability allowance once a week for between eight and ten years has been jailed.

Hughie Nevin (43), of 67 MacEoin Park, Longford, appeared before Judge Kenneth Connolly at Longford Circuit Court charged with the theft of €20 from an older man, as well as demanding money with menace on March 9, 2023.

Giving evidence in court, Garda Linda O'Connell said that, on March 6, 2023, a man attended Longford Garda Station and made a statement regarding a number of individuals who were taking money off him over a period of time.

The man told Gardaí that Mr Nevin would wait at the Kiosk on Dublin Street, Longford, every Thursday when he would collect his disability payment, and then ask for €20 of that payment from the injured party.

Gardaí put an operation in place with An Post on March 9, 2023, to track the serial numbers of the notes that were given to the injured party.

Gardaí then watched as the injured party met Hughie Nevin on Dublin Street. Mr Nevin proceeded to follow the man down Dublin Street, repeatedly asking him for €20 and insisting he go into a nearby shop to break a €50 note, which the injured party did.

When the man left, Gardaí arrived and arrested Mr Nevin, conveying him to Longford Garda Station for interview and, ultimately, charge.

Gda O’Connell explained that the injured party is “an elderly, vulnerable person”, who suffered a brain injury in 1982 from a car crash.

“I believe he'd still be afraid of Hughie Nevin even though he's in prison. He's been afraid of him for years and still is,” said Gda O'Connell.

“He left his address as a result of ongoing events over the years and is now living in a country area, but is still afraid when he comes into Longford.”

Mr Nevin is currently serving a prison sentence of two years and three months, with the final six months suspended, for the section 3 assault of another elderly, vulnerable man.

He was on bail for that offence when he was arrested for these offences, Gda O'Connell explained.

Mr Nevin has 67 previous convictions, including three robberies, six burglaries and 11 thefts.

In interview, Mr Nevin told Gardaí, “I didn't take it from him, I didn't threaten him, I just asked him”.

He also said he would often pay the money back, though no evidence of this was put before the court.

Gda O'Connell told the court that “this had become the norm” for the injured party, as it went on for a period of eight to ten years.

“He was so used to handing over the money but he was so fearful that, if he didn't hand it over, Mr Nevin would ‘box the head off him’, to use his own words,” she said.

“I know Hughie Nevin since I came to Longford nine years ago. He's an alcoholic and a very violent alcoholic. He'd have a temper and he'd lash out.

“He's grand when he's sober but most of my dealings with him have been when he's drunk.”

The court heard from defence barrister, Andrea Callan, that Mr Nevin sleeps at his sister's house, but that he's not welcome there throughout the course of the day, “which is why he's out and about the town”, living “a somewhat aimless existence”.

She stressed that there was another couple of individuals who were taking money from the injured party over the course of that eight to ten year period and that it was “not necessarily Hughie Nevin” for the entirety of that time period.

“No, Hughie Nevin was named as being one of the main men for the eight to ten years,” Gda O’Connell confirmed.

Judge Connolly noted that it was a “paltry sum” of €20 that was taken from the victim but stressed that this was taken from a vulnerable person, with special needs, who was receiving €220 per month.

“It is very worrying that this had been going on for some time because this man was seen as a soft touch because of his vulnerabilities,” he said.

“I'm aware Mr Nevin would have been receiving a payment of his own and I'm sure you wouldn't want to hand over €20 a week. Mr Nevin says he paid the money back but there is no proof of that.

“This was, at best, an obnoxious and offensive crime,” he added, stating that it was “nasty in the extreme”.

The only reason Mr Nevin was successful, Judge Connolly said, was because the injured party was “a vulnerable person who couldn't protect himself”.

Fortunately, the man sought the protection of the state, which was “readily given” and Judge Connolly commended the Gardaí for their work with An Post.

A probation report furnished to the report stated Mr Nevin was at high risk of reoffending within the next 12 months, if released from custody.

“The court isn't prepared to allow that,” said Judge Connolly, referring to the offence as “sinister”.

He proceeded to sentence Mr Nevin to four years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended for three years on the demanding money with menace charge. The charge of theft was taken into consideration.

A number of conditions were attached to the suspended portion of the sentence, including that Mr Nevin engage with services to address his alcohol addiction, and to have “no contact whatsoever” with the injured party.

The sentence will be activated upon the lawful expiration of the 27-month sentence Mr Nevin is currently serving, which was handed down in May 2023.