Twoyearjail termforcrimes

A 22-year-old man who was involved in a number of incidents, including taking a bike from a robbery victim, breaking into the Long Walk Shopping Centre and attacking prison officers has been given a two year sentence at the district court.

Michael Murden, 529 Ashling Park, is already serving a two-and-a-half year sentence handed down in the circuit court last month. On Wednesday, he entered guilty pleas to a number of offences.

Judge Flann Brenann heard how a robbery, captured on CCTV on September 30, showed the victim being approached by three youths, two of whom attacked him before Murden picked up the victim’s bike from the scene and cycled away.

A short time later, CCTV captured Murden outside the Long Walk Shopping Centre following a burglary with a digital camera that was taken from the centre.

Earlier this year, on March 2, he was being brought back to the custody cells at Dundalk District Court when prison officers saw something being passed to him. Downstairs, they asked him to hand it over, but he refused and started screaming, lashing out at two male officers and had to be retrained.

A small amount of cannabis was found on him. One of the prison officers had a cut to his right eye that required three paper stitches and he also attended physiotherapy, while the second hurt his elbow and sprained his hand.

And on May 31 2015, a woman reported to Gardai that her car, which had been parked outside a house at O’Hanlon Park for less than two hours, had been damaged, with the front driver’s window smashed. The house had CCTV and film Murden kicking the window three times until it smashed, causing €150 worth of damage, and then running away.

Judge Brennan heard how Murden has 42 previous convictions, including for robbery, arson, theft and criminal damage and was given a sentence at the circuit court last month.

Solicitor Peter Lavery said his client is now serving ‘a serious sentence’ and while he had battled addictions to tablets, alcohol and cannabis, Murden is getting help in prison where he has enhanced prisoner status and is ‘going well, not coming to the attention of the authorities’.

Murden is not, Mr Lavery said, in a position