crime spree | 

Limerick burglary gang leader and three others jailed for spate of robberies across UK

Darren ‘Joey’ O’Halloran and three other men hit 54 homes across the West Midlands between November 2022 and January this year

Yesterday at 10:34

An infamous Limerick burglary gang leader has been jailed in the UK for 12 years for a spate of robberies in which Stg£350,000 worth of jewellery was stolen.

Darren ‘Joey’ O’Halloran and three other men hit 54 homes across the West Midlands between November 2022 and January this year.

A video of one break-in shows the masked burglars calmly pulling a window off its hinges using crow bars before climbing into the property.

In another clip released by police, a gang member is seen holding an axe as others tried to break through a security gate.

The brazen thieves are also seen taking a run-up to kick open the door of another property, and, in another case, leaving with a safe.

They were also caught on CCTV changing the reg plate on one of the cars they were using.

The four were finally caught after detectives searched hours of CCTV which captured them using two getaway cars, an Audi R3 and a VW Golf, on false plates.

O’Halloran previously got a four-year prison sentence in Limerick for threatening to kill a garda detective and burn down his house. He had phoned the officer at Henry Street Garda Station to make the threats to the officer, warning him to “back off” the pursuit of his criminal gang.

He told the detective “we’ll do no more crime if ye back off me and Aaron”, referring to his brother, but became aggressive when told the gardai would not back off.

Limerick Circuit heard O’Halloran then said: “I will kill ye, you c*** with your big yellow house and I will burn it to the ground. Don’t be coming to my house in the middle of the night.”

O’Halloran also threatened to “finish” him saying: “Go get your V6 Mondeo, I’ll ram you off the road at 160 miles an hour.”

O’Halloran, who was on bail at the time, already had 76 previous convictions when he made the threats.

He was found guilty by a jury and later lost an appeal against his conviction.

The incident came after gardai searched O’Halloran’s home looking for his brother Aaron, who was on the run from gardai after being involved in a high-speed chase.

Aaron O’Halloran was found hiding under insulation in the attic and was later jailed for reckless endangerment and assaulting a garda.

After one sentence was handed down he shouted at the judge: “For f***s sake what’s your problem? What’s wrong with you? You’re sick in the head.”

Darren O’Halloran and his co-accused also put on a display of defiance last week, turning their backs on the judge at Birmingham Crown Court and walking out of the dock as they were sentenced.

The court had heard how O’Halloran (38), Jason MacDonaugh (32), Barney Casey (22) and Daniel Harty (32) were part of the “sophisticated” group, which robbed £350,000 worth of jewellery, cash and other belongings.

The gang raided homes in Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull between mid-November and February 1.

In 14 incidents the occupants were at home, including a mum holding her 18-month child who was confronted in her hallway by two men holding a baseball bat and screwdriver.

All four gang members, of no fixed address but originally from Ireland, were convicted of conspiracy to burgle, and jailed.

Prosecutor Sarah Slater said: “This was a sophisticated operation. They were forensically aware and there were attempts to disguise their involvement.

“They sourced two vehicles for use and targeted addresses where high value jewellery, money and other items could be stolen. They acted as a team and swapped team members to avoid detection.”

MacDonaugh has a number of previous convictions to his name including burglaries, robbery and handling stolen goods. He was jailed for 13 years.

O’Halloran was jailed for 12 years, while Casey received 10 years and six months and Harty got 12 years.