By Gordon Deegan

A judge has jailed four members of a Limerick burglary gang for a cumulative 14 years for a burglary on an isolated Co. Clare farmhouse five years ago.

Imposing sentence on the four at Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Eoin Garavan stated that the burglary offence carried out by the gang on January 5, 2018 “is of intense social concern” and there must be a deterrent.

He said such offences “terrify people in rural areas where there is little protection against this, and who do not have gardaí on their doorstep”.

Judge Garavan stated that the “absolute fear and trauma to the victims that can be occasioned” by such offences in rural areas cannot be overstated.

He imposed cumulative sentences on the four-man burglary gang totalling 18.5 years with 4.5 years suspended, for the burglary on an isolated farmhouse at Ballyveskill, Tiermaclane, 9km from Ennis in Co. Clare.

Burglary of isolated Clare farmhouse

Judge Garavan said that the offence was premeditated and carefully thought out and gardaí were on the scene, as they knew that a burglary was going to take place as a result of intelligence received.

The judge said that three raiders displayed “humanity in the midst of a serious crime” when they decided to flee from the house after discovering there was an elderly man asleep in the home at the time.

All four pleaded guilty to burglary and on the date, three of the burglars – father and son, Patrick (48) and Edward Woodland along with Paul Kiely (35) – fled from the farmhouse after discovering that the sole occupant, 97-year-old man, James (Jimmy)  O’Connor was asleep in his bed.

At around 3:30p.m on January 5, 2018, the raiders had kicked in the door of the house and broke a lock ransacking the home looking for cash before making the discovery about the elderly man’s presence.

All three were caught ‘red handed’ by gardaí as they tried to make good their escape through fields around the O’Connor home. Nothing was taken in the burglary and Judge Garavan said that no threat of violence, or violence, was used.

Planned crime

As part of the planned burglary, one member of the gang, brother to Patrick and uncle to Edward, John Woodland (43) lured James O’Connor’s son, Vincent O’Connor away from his home to a nearby field on the pretence of buying silage as part of “a clever decoy”.

John Woodland had first contacted Vincent O’Connor about purchasing silage at the start of December 2017.

Judge Garavan said that it would have been very traumatic for Vincent O’Connor returning to his home on the afternoon and not knowing if his father had been interfered with or tied up.

Judge Garavan said that the O’Connor farmhouse was an easy target for the raiders in a rural area.

James O’Connor died peacefully at home in March 2018 and his death was not related to the January burglary where his sleep was undisturbed.

In sentencing, Judge Garavan imposed a five-year prison term on Patrick Woodland of Greenmount Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston, Limerick; a five-year prison term with the final year suspended on Edward Woodland with the same address; a five-year prison term on John Woodland of Clarina Avenue, Ballinacurra Avenue, Limerick with the final two years suspended; and  3.5 years on Paul Kiely Glencairn, Dooradadoyle, Limerick with the final 1.5 years suspended.

Det. Garda Brendan Rouine told the court that Patrick Woodland and John Woodland were each jailed for three years in 2012 for a similar type burglary committed in Galway in 2011.

The detective also said that Vincent O’Connor has now enhanced security features at his home. He said that Mr. O’Connor didn’t wish to make a victim impact statement and couldn’t come to court due to a cattle herd test.

On being informed that Edward Woodland receives disability benefit for his lactose intolerance, Judge Garavan commented: “I am sure that the tax-payer will be delighted to know that Department of Social Welfare pays disability benefit for lactose intolerance.”

Lactose intolerance is a common digestive problem where the body is unable to digest lactose, a type of sugar mainly found in milk and dairy products.

Judge Garavan said: “The less said about this the better, but it seems to be an extraordinary reason for obtaining social protection disability payment.”