A prolific and “recidivist” career criminal who has more than 350 convictions has been handed a four-year sentence for a series of burglaries and assaulting an 86-year-old man in his own home after claiming he was “in the UVF.”
Samuel Robinson appeared before Downpatrick Crown Court via video-link from prison today where he was ordered to serve half his sentence behind bars and the rest under supervised licence conditions.
Judge Geoffrey Miller KC said the 52-year-old, with an address on the Annan Road in Dumfries, “seems to have a certain ability in persuading decent, kind-hearted people to let him into their house on the pretext of requiring a drink of water or a coffee or looking for a taxi” before using that concocted opportunity to steal from them.
Commenting that this series of offences was similar to a set of offences he dealt with last November, the judge added that there was an extra “exacerbating factor” in the case before him today.
“The fact that he has assaulted an 86-year-old man in his own home is unforgivable,” declared Judge Miller.
Robinson entered guilty pleas to four charges of burglary and two of common assault all committed on February 7, 2023.
As the clerk was putting the charges to him, Robinson questioned whether he had already been sentenced for them, asking the judge whether he was sure he hadn’t already dealt with them.
“I am absolutely sure Mr Robinson,” Judge Miller assured him before adding that “the problem is you have committed so many that you cannot remember.”
Prosecuting counsel Briege Gilmore told the court it was on February 7, 2023, when the police received reports of multiple incidents of burglary in Killyleagh.
At 6.40pm, Robinson was at a woman’s front door on Kerry Park “holding his throat and asking for water” but “she told him to f*** off and closed the door.”
Five minutes later Robinson was at the front door of an 86-year-old man and as the elderly victim turned around the defendant “jumped on his back and pushed him out of the way” claiming “that he was in the UVF” while making his way to a sideboard to scoop £4 in coins.
Robinson then left and made his way to Kerry Wind where he duped his way in asking for water or a taxi but when the householder noticed Robinson interfering with his wife’s handbag, he told him to get out.
Ms Gilmore said each of the complainants and victims gave police statements and within an hour of the last incident, Robinson was arrested in a nearby Spar store.
He was found to be in possession of £4 in cash as well as stolen bank cards but he told police that “just because I have a card doesn’t mean that I wasn’t given that back card.”
Recalling that he jailed Robinson last November for a similar set of offences, Judge Miller said it was clear that he “preys upon elderly people and their good nature and time and time again.”
Among the previous crimes, which were committed just four days after his mini-burglary spree in Killyleagh, Robinson repaid the “Christian compassion” of an elderly lady by stealing her car and purse.
Imposing the jail sentence today, Judge Miller said Robinson is a “confirmed recidivist” with 359 previous convictions including entries for assault, serious assault, theft, burglary, forgery, theft and handling stolen goods as well as 179 road traffic offences.
by Other_Ant_1815
3 comments
This man has 359 convictions. And there’s this little pearl:
As the clerk was putting the charges to him, Robinson questioned whether he had already been sentenced for them, asking the judge whether he was sure he hadn’t already dealt with them.
“I am absolutely sure Mr Robinson,” Judge Miller assured him before adding that “the problem is you have committed so many that you cannot remember.”
Personally, I think prison should be a last resort and that Norway, for example, is a model for a forward looking criminal justice system which properly rehabilitates offenders.
But THREE HUNDRED AND FIFTY NINE CONVICTIONS. At what point do we simply lock the door and throw away the key?
This is such an argument for a “three strikes law”
Send him to a Gulag.
Problem solved
Comments are closed.