Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 4498Burglary · Co. Dublin

Vincent Widdess jailed for six and a half years over three Dublin burglaries

Vincent Widdess, 50, was sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to six and a half years in prison for three burglaries in Dublin between July 2024 and February 2025, including one in which gardaí found him sleeping in a shop. Part of the sentence was suspended on condition that he engage with the Probation Service for 12 months.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced26 Nov
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
14 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)
  • 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
  1. 26 Nov2025
    Sentencedirishmirror.ie, first report
    Burglar 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