Thug jailed for violent robbery of visually impaired man

A VICIOUS thug who beat up a visually impaired man and stole his groceries has been jailed for two and a half years.

During the savage assault, just yards from Store Street Garda station in Dublin, Robert McHugh – who has an astonishing 139 previous convictions – punched and headbutted his elderly and vulnerable victim.

McHugh, 25, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of Martin O’Brien at the Luas Stop at Busáras on Store Street on March 30, 2015. His previous convictions include burglary, drug possession and numerous thefts. Garda Kieran O’Rourke told Paul Carroll BL, prosecuting that Mr O’Brien, 63, who has no sight in one eye and partial sight in the other, was waiting at the stop with his partner, when McHugh sat down beside him.

Mr O’Brien felt someone rummaging in his pockets so he got up to move away when McHugh shouted at him to sit down again.

He got aggressive with Mr O’Brien and started pushing him and grabbed at his groceries and the stick the victim was using as a visual aid. Mr O’Brien tried to swing his cane at McHugh to get him away but the man started throwing punches, with one landing on his face, hitting his nose and mouth. He quickly followed this with a headbutt before grabbing the bag of groceries and fleeing.

Garda O’Rourke said a number of Luas security men were standing nearby and advised passers-by to call gardaí before they chased McHugh and held him until officers arrived.

McHugh was arrested and told gardaí in an interview that he was sorry for whatever happened but he had no recollection of it. He said he had just drunk a bottle of vodka. A knife was found in his tracksuit.

Garda O’Rourke said Mr O’Brien didn’t make a victim-impact statement.

He was treated by a station doctor in Store Street Garda station for cuts and bruising around his nose and mouth but he didn’t need stitches and wasn’t hospitalised. He was very shaken up after the robbery and felt nervous around town since.

The court heard that McHugh had an alcohol problem and had often abused other substances. He was also diagnosed as schizophrenic. The judge sentenced McHugh, of St Joseph’s Place, Dublin 7, to four years with 18 months suspended on strict conditions.