Ireland Man sentenced to six and a half years for three Dublin burglaries
Vincent Widdess, a 50-year-old man from Clondalkin, was sentenced on 26 November 2025 to consecutive terms totalling seven and a half years for three burglaries in Dublin between July 2024 and 10 February 2025. The offences involved a national school in Dublin City Centre, a shop on Pearse Street, and a residential property on Infirmary Road, from which six mobile phones and a backpack were stolen while the family slept upstairs. Gardaí found Widdess sleeping in a chair in the Pearse Street shop after its alarm was triggered on 3 August 2024, and later tracked him to Castleknock using a device on one of the stolen phones. He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Judge Elma Sheahan suspended the final 12 months of the sentence on condition he engage with the Probation Service and backdated the term to his custody in February 2025.
- Reported26 Nov
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced26 Nov
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Vincent Widdess was sentenced to consecutive terms totalling seven and a half years for three separate burglaries in Dublin.
- Six mobile phones and a backpack were stolen from the Infirmary Road house while the family was asleep upstairs.
- Where
- The burglaries were of a national school in Dublin City Centre, a shop on Pearse Street, and a residential property on Infirmary Road.
- When
- The burglaries took place on dates between July 2024 and 10 February 2025.
- Investigation
- Gardaí arrived at the Pearse Street shop after a burglar alarm was activated on 3 August 2024 and found Widdess sleeping in a chair in an upstairs office.
- Gardaí used a tracking device on one of the stolen phones to locate Widdess in Castleknock.
- Charges
- Widdess pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to burglary of the three properties.
- Sentence
- Judge Elma Sheahan imposed consecutive sentences totalling seven and a half years, with the final 12 months suspended on condition Widdess engage with the Probation Service for 12 months.
- The sentence was backdated to when Widdess first went into custody in February 2025.
- Other details
- Widdess was on a suspended sentence and on station bail at the time of the offences.
- The judge accepted that Widdess had significant health issues due to a long-standing heroin and alcohol addiction.
15 statements extracted from the articles
- whatVincent Widdess was jailed for six and a half years for three separate burglaries. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGardaí found Widdess sleeping in a chair in an upstairs office of the shop. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatWiddess admitted he had looked through the till but said there was no money in it. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatSix mobile phones and a backpack were stolen from the Infirmary Road house while the family was asleep upstairs. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGardaí found a burglar dozing on a chair in a shop he had broken into. (extra.ie)
- whereThe burglaries were of a national school in Dublin City Centre, a shop on Pearse Street and a residential property on Infirmary Road. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe burglaries took place on dates between July 2024 and 10 February 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí arrived at the Pearse Street shop after a burglar alarm was activated on 3 August 2024. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí used a tracking device on one of the stolen phones to locate Widdess in Castleknock. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtWiddess pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceJudge Elma Sheahan imposed consecutive sentences totalling seven and a half years in prison. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceThe final 12 months of the term were suspended on condition that Widdess engage with the Probation Service for 12 months. (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceThe sentence was backdated to when Widdess first went into custody last February. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherWiddess was on a suspended sentence and on station bail at the time of the offences. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe judge accepted that Widdess had significant health issues due to a long-standing heroin and alcohol addiction. (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 26 Nov2025Gardai found burglar dozing on chair in shop he had broken into
Only the headline is usable. The article text is unrendered template code, so the location, date and other details are unknown.
suspect, male - 26 Nov2025Burglar gardaí found sleeping in shop he broke into jailed for over six years
Sentencing report for one accused on three burglaries. Gives the sentence, the judge's reasoning, the suspended portion and the tracking of his location through a stolen phone.
convicted, Vincent Widdess, 50, male, named, irish (judged from name)Vincent Widdess