Ireland Case No. 29488Extortion (demanding money with menace) · Co. Dublin · 5 Sep 2020
Man sentenced for extortion at Malahide home
Two men went to a family's home in Malahide, Co Dublin, at night on 5, 8 and 11 September 2020 and falsely claimed one of their children was involved in €50,000 of missing drugs, demanding €25,000. The pair returned on two further occasions during which property was damaged and notes demanding the money were left. Dylan Cronin, a man aged 18 at the time, pleaded guilty to three counts of demanding money with menace. He was sentenced on 19 October 2021 at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced19 Oct
3 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Two men went to a family's home at night and falsely claimed one of their children was involved in €50,000 of missing drugs, demanding €25,000.
- The pair returned on two further occasions during which property was damaged and notes demanding the money were left.
- Where
- The incidents occurred at an address in Malahide, Co Dublin.
- When
- The three incidents occurred on 5, 8 and 11 September 2020.
- Cause
- The claim that a child was involved in missing drugs was entirely false and concocted to gain the money.
- Charges
- Cronin pleaded guilty to three counts of demanding money with menace at an address in Malahide on 5, 8 and 11 September 2020.
- In court
- The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, with Kieran Kelly BL prosecuting and Deirdre Flannery BL defending.
- Sentence
- Cronin was sentenced to three years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions including following Probation Service directions for 18 months post-release.
- Other details
- Cronin, of Grange Abbey Crescent, Donaghmede, Dublin, was aged 18 at the time of the offences and had no previous convictions.
- Cronin said he was coerced into the offending and was to receive €2,000 or €3,000 for his involvement.
- Cronin and his family have since been threatened by men who called to their family home, and investigations are ongoing.
39 statements extracted from the articles
- whatThey demanded the family give them €25,000 (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe claim was entirely false and concocted to get the money (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe pair returned on two further occasions during which property was damaged and notes demanding money were left (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe other man told the couple their child was involved in €50,000 of drugs going missing along with three other people (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe other man said three other families had agreed to pay €25,000 and the child had a debt for the remaining €25,000 (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe men said they did not want to threaten the family but they would have to pay (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe men left after being told the family did not have the money (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe child in question had no involvement whatsoever with drugs (irishtimes.com, thejournal.ie)
- whatOn the second date the man found the window of his car had been broken (irishtimes.com)
- whatA handwritten note in his porch area included a phone number and advice to call when he had the money (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe claim about the child's involvement in drugs was entirely false and concocted to gain money. (thejournal.ie)
- whatThe blackmailers returned on two further occasions during which property was damaged and notes were left demanding the money. (thejournal.ie, extra.ie)
- whatOn the first occasion, Cronin and the other man came to the home with their faces covered by scarves. (thejournal.ie)
- whatThe other man told the couple that one of their children was involved in €50,000 of drugs going missing along with three other people. (thejournal.ie)
- whatThe other man told the couple that the other three families had agreed to pay €25,000 and their child had a debt of the remaining €25,000. (thejournal.ie)
- whatThe family told the men they did not have the money and the men left. (thejournal.ie)
- whatOn the second date, the man who had been threatened found the window of his car was broken. (thejournal.ie)
- whatHe found a handwritten note in his porch area with a phone number saying to ring it when he had the money. (thejournal.ie)
- whereCronin is from Grange Abbey Crescent, Donaghmede, Dublin (extra.ie)
- whenThe three incidents occurred on September 5, 8 and 11, 2020 (extra.ie)
- causeThe claim that a child was involved in missing drugs was entirely false and concocted to gain the money (extra.ie)
- chargeCronin pleaded guilty to three counts of demanding money with menace at an address in Malahide on 5, 8 and 11 September 2020 (irishtimes.com, thejournal.ie)
- chargeCronin pleaded guilty to three counts of demanding money with menace at an address in Malahide, Co Dublin (extra.ie)
- courtKieran Kelly BL was prosecuting and Deirdre Flannery BL was defending. (thejournal.ie)
- sentenceThe judge sentenced Cronin to three years imprisonment but suspended the final 18 months on strict conditions including following Probation Service directions for 18 months after release (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceCronin was sentenced to three years imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions including following all directions of the Probation Service for 18 months post release. (thejournal.ie)
- otherCronin has no previous convictions (irishtimes.com, thejournal.ie)
- otherCronin was to receive €2,000 or €3,000 for being involved and was allowed his car to be used (irishtimes.com)
- otherCronin told gardaí he was persuaded by someone to get involved and that his life and his family's would be in danger if he did not (irishtimes.com)
- otherCronin accepted he was one of the pair that spoke to the family on the first occasion (irishtimes.com)
- otherCronin said he drove to the house on subsequent occasions but did not get out (irishtimes.com)
- otherCronin was to receive €2,000 or €3,000 for being involved in the offending. (thejournal.ie)
- otherIn interview, Cronin said he was persuaded by someone into getting involved and that his life and his family's lives were in danger if he did not do it. (thejournal.ie)
- otherCronin accepted he was one of the two men who spoke to the family on the first occasion and drove to the house on both subsequent occasions but did not get out of his car. (thejournal.ie)
- otherCronin and his family have since been threatened by men who called to the door of their family home and investigations are ongoing. (thejournal.ie)
- otherCronin was aged 18 at the time of the offences. (thejournal.ie)
- otherCronin had €1,000 in compensation in court which could be made available to the family. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe family would prefer the compensation money to go to Pieta House. (thejournal.ie)
- otherCronin said he was coerced but was to receive €2,000-€3,000 for the crime (extra.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 25 Oct2021Man jailed for attempt to extort €25,000 from 'completely blameless' family - Extra.ie
Sentencing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court: three years' imprisonment with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions including following Probation Service directions for 18 months post release.
- 19 Oct2021Man who attempted to extort €25,000 from 'blameless' family jailed for 18 months
Provides full sentencing details including Judge Patricia Ryan's remarks, evidence from Garda Joseph Robinson describing the three visits, the broken car window and threatening notes, the CCTV identification of Cronin's car, his interview statements, and defense arguments by Deirdre Flannery BL regarding his age, lack of prior convictions, and the family's preference for compensation to go to Pieta House.
- 19 Oct2021Man jailed over role in plot to extort €25,000 from ‘blameless’ family
Provides detailed account of the sentencing hearing, including the judge's reasoning, the specific false claims made to the family, the notes left and car damage on subsequent visits, CCTV identification of Cronin's car, and his defence of being coerced for €2,000–€3,000.
convicted, Dylan Cronin, 20, male, named, irish (judged from name)Dylan Croninsuspect, malevictim, malevictimvictim