Bullring brawl | 

Chef jailed for three years after robbing off-licence and attacking passerby outside

Des Lynch (22) was described as having been homeless at the time of the incident

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A homeless man who robbed vodka from a Wexford Town off-licence and then attacked a passerby outside the shop was jailed for two and a half years in the Circuit Court.

Former chef Des Lynch (22) was described as having been homeless at the time of the incident in the Bullring last March. Brought before Judge James McCourt the defendant admitted robbery, assault and violent disorder, all offences committed in broad daylight.

The events of the afternoon of March 14 last were detailed by Detective Garda Pat O’Brien.

He told the court how he and colleagues were mobilised as reports came in of a disturbance in the Bullring around 5 p.m.

It emerged that the defendant had attempted to take two bottles of vodka valued at €23 each from the local off-licence.

When proprietor Eddie Macken intervened as the accused made to leave, he received several punches around the head.

The detective’s testimony was supported by CCTV evidence showing a man in a red jacket bursting into the shop and helping himself to the spirits behind the counter.

Lynch was seen in the footage swinging left-handed with his fist at the owner of the premises at the door. In the end, he only made off with one of the two bottles.

Once outside on the street, he became involved in a confrontation with a Polish man called Piotr Czarnecki who lived nearby.

Garda O’Brien reckoned that Czarnecki must have witnessed the robbery and said something to the defendant or tried to intervene.

His interest drew a violent response from the defendant who was joined by two others.

After examining security camera and mobile phone footage of the incident, the detective reported that the defendant was responsible for seven kicks and ten punches landed on the victim. He also threw a chair at the injured party.

Czarnecki was attended by paramedics at the scene and then brought to hospital where he was detained overnight.

The accused was refused bail in the District Court and remained in custody on remand for ten months until the sentencing hearing.

Defending counsel Edward O’Mahony stressed that his client had no prior convictions. Most of his childhood was spent in foster care, which at least gave him a stable upbringing. After sitting the Leaving Certificate, Lynch took a degree course in the culinary arts.

He was employed as a chef but as his taste for cocaine escalated, he stopped turning up for work.

He had been living in the Ozanam House hostel for more than a year at the time of the robbery and assault.

Judge McCourt remarked that onlookers could only have looked on at what occurred in total horror. It appeared that Lynch was out of his mind on drink that day.

The result was a three-year sentence, the closing six months suspended