Man with 110 convictions jailed for restaurant burglary in Dublin 8
Michael Joyce, a 50-year-old man of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to one count of burglary of a restaurant in Dublin 8 in the early hours of 3 April 2025. A witness in his car on his way to work spotted two men, one with a limp and a crutch, climbing out of the ransacked restaurant and called the gardaí, who arrested both men at the scene. The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, where Joyce, who has 110 previous convictions including two for rape, was sentenced by Judge Orla Crowe on 23 October 2026 to two years and six months, backdated to when he went into custody.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced25 Oct
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- Michael Joyce pleaded guilty to one count of burglary of a Dublin 8 restaurant.
- A witness in his car on his way to work saw two men climbing out of the restaurant, one with a limp and a crutch, and called the gardaí.
- Gardaí arrested both men at the scene, catching them with the till and several iPads.
- The restaurant had been ransacked and the window damaged at a cost of €1,200, and all stolen items were recovered and returned.
- When
- The burglary took place in the early hours of 3 April 2025.
- In court
- The case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
- Sentence
- Judge Orla Crowe sentenced Joyce to two years and six months on 23 October 2026, backdated to when he went into custody.
- Other details
- Joyce has 110 previous convictions including two for rape and 46 road traffic matters, with his first record of conviction from 1993.
- Joyce was homeless at the time of the offence, has a significant leg injury requiring future amputation, and began drinking at age nine and using drugs at 17.
- Joyce is an enhanced prisoner, drug-free, and involved in education in prison.
19 statements extracted from the articles
- whatMichael Joyce pleaded guilty to one count of burglary of a Dublin 8 restaurant (irishmirror.ie)
- whatA man in his car on his way to work saw two men climbing out of the restaurant (irishmirror.ie)
- whatOne of the men had a limp and was using a crutch (irishmirror.ie)
- whatGardaí arrested both men at the scene (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe restaurant had been ransacked and the window damaged, costing €1,200 (irishmirror.ie)
- whatAll stolen items were recovered and returned to the restaurant (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe restaurant had to operate without a till for several days (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe burglary took place in the early hours of 3 April 2025 (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe sentence was passed on Friday, 23 October 2026 (irishmirror.ie)
- courtThe case was heard at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court (irishmirror.ie)
- sentenceJudge Orla Crowe sentenced Joyce to two years and six months, backdated to when he went into custody (irishmirror.ie)
- otherJoyce has 110 previous convictions including two for rape and 46 road traffic matters (irishmirror.ie)
- otherJoyce's first record of conviction is from 1993 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherJoyce was homeless at the time of the offence (irishmirror.ie)
- otherJoyce has a significant leg injury (irishmirror.ie)
- otherJoyce began drinking at age nine and using drugs at 17 (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHe became a long-term heroin user which led to him becoming homeless (irishmirror.ie)
- otherMedical professionals said Joyce needs to have his leg amputated in the future (irishmirror.ie)
- otherJoyce is an enhanced prisoner, drug-free, and involved in education in prison (irishmirror.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 25 Oct2026Vigilant witness helped gardaí catch restaurant burglar ‘red-handed’
Reports the sentencing of Michael Joyce to two years and six months for the burglary, including details of how a witness spotted the two men leaving the restaurant and the court's consideration of his 110 previous convictions, homelessness, and medical issues.
convicted, Michael Joyce, 50, male, named, irish (judged from name)Michael Joyceaccused, male