Judge activates suspended portion of sentence for man convicted of Longford school robbery

A man who held a screwdriver to the neck of a primary school principal during an armed robbery has had the final 18 months of his four year, six month sentence activated after he was found to be in breach of the conditions of his suspended sentence.

James Cranny (41), of 14 Meadowcrest, Boyle, Co Roscommon, was sentenced in March 2021 for holding up five members of the board of management at St Joseph’s National School on August 27, 2020.

Mr Cranny, who had travelled from Dublin, had consumed “a cocktail of drugs” and was “desperate for more drugs” at around 7pm, so he entered the school, where a meeting was taking place, and said “this is not a joke, I want €800”.

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During the course of the armed robbery, he produced a screwdriver and held it to the neck of the school principal. When she said she had no money, he turned his attention to another person present, who gave the accused €100 and guided him to the door.

In March 2021, Judge Keenan Johnson sentenced Mr Cranny to four years and six months in prison, suspending the final 18 months subject to a number of conditions, including that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for a period of ten years-post release.

He was also ordered to submit himself to the supervision of the probation service for a period of 18 months post-release, and complete, to the satisfaction of the probation service, a residential drug treatment course within 18 months of his release.

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Finally, he was ordered to refrain from the consumption of alcohol and illicit substances for the period of the suspended sentence.

However, Mr Cranny came before the Circuit Court having breached those conditions and Judge Kenneth Connolly proceeded to activate the suspended sentence.

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