Man involved in Knockcroghery shop burglary jailed for six and a half years

A man who was involved in the burglary of multiple Roscommon businesses in 2024, including a shop in Knockcroghery, before abandoning a stolen car in Athlone and getting the train back to Dublin with black bin bags filled with “ill-gotten gains”, has been jailed for six and a half years

The sentence of Eugene Traynor (48), with an address in Adamstown, Lucan, Co Dublin, is to run consecutively to a sentence he is currently serving, meaning it will only take effect in July of next year.

Mr Traynor appeared before Judge Kenneth Connolly at Roscommon Circuit Court, with an indictment of seven charges, including one for theft, one arson, four burglaries and one criminal damage. All charges related to the early hours of August 13, 2024.

Mr Traynor pleaded guilty to all counts on the indictment, except for the arson charge, which was taken into consideration during Judge Connolly’s sentencing. It was never indicated that a jury would be required.

The court heard that, at 2am on August 12, 2024, there was a burglary at a private residence in Celbridge, Co Kildare, whereby a male entered the house via a downstairs window while the family was asleep, and took a handbag, jewellery and the keys of a BMW.

A man was seen driving away in the vehicle, which was used the following night in the commission of the offences that were before Roscommon Circuit Court. The BMW itself was abandoned in Athlone following the spate of burglaries.

At 1.30am on August 13, 2024, there was a burglary at a shop in Frenchpark, which was captured on CCTV, the court heard. Footage showed three suspects enter the premises - one with a distinctive gait, one with a peaky cap and one with glasses. Mr Traynor was later identified as the man with the distinctive gait.

A number of confectionery items were taken, which were later found in the BMW and identified as belonging to the owner of the shop.

At 2.30am, there was an attempted break-in via the roof of an off-licence and shop in Tulsk, the court heard. There was €200 worth of damage done to a bench on the property and the incident was captured on CCTV, but the burglary attempt was unsuccessful.

A further burglary took place at 2.45am at a motor business in Tulsk, with CCTV footage showing the same men from previous footage. During this incident, the key to a white BMW X5, log books of two cars, and a number of tools were taken, which were later recovered in the BMW in Athlone. A grey BMW valued at €20,000 was also stolen.

The burglaries continued when, at 4.12am, there was a break-in at a Roscommon garage. Windows were smashed, the offices were “ransacked” and approximately €300 to €400 in cash was taken from the tills. Another room at the rear was “completely pulled apart”, and a till was later recovered in the abandoned BMW.

Shortly afterwards, at 4.37am, a shop in Knockcroghery was broken into. CCTV with audio showed the two stolen BMWs arriving at the location and the same three males were also captured.

The court heard that the side door was forced open before €1,000 in cash was stolen from the till. The men then stole €13,437 worth of cigarettes and €2,466 worth of vapes.

Two till trays were also taken and later recovered in the first stolen BMW.

The grey BMW was later found burned out at the GAA pitch in Aughrim and Gardaí said it “may have crashed prior to being burned out”. The first stolen BMW suffered a burst tyre coming into Athlone and was parked in Esker Park.

The court heard that one of the men then made his way to Applegreen to purchase black bin bags before returning to the car, where the three men proceeded to put some of the stolen items into refuse sacks.

They were then tracked on CCTV leaving the estate and going towards the train station.

They left the black bags unattended but within view for a short time and CCTV footage shows a seagull pecking at a bag, tearing it and taking two packs of cigarettes. All men are then seen getting on the train to Dublin.

As part of the investigation, two Tallaght-based Gardaí positively identified Eugene Traynor as the man on CCTV footage with the “distinct gait”.

On September 27, 2024, a warrant was executed and a search carried out at the accused’s home, before he was arrested and brought to Castlerea Garda Station, where he was interviewed four times but gave nothing of evidential value.

All offences were committed while Mr Traynor was on High Court bail, the court heard, and he has 36 previous convictions. Included among those were two for criminal damage, one for burglary, three for robbery, one for handling stolen property and four for theft.

Desmond Dockery SC, for the accused, told the court that his client has a “longstanding drug addiction” and is currently serving a sentence in Mountjoy prison, which was imposed in April 2025, and will expire in July 2027.

“This was an audacious night of ransacking and thieving around the county of Roscommon,” said Mr Dockery, before adding that “nobody was confronted and nobody was hurt”.

Mr Traynor is currently undergoing a methadone course in Mountjoy, and a report from Merchant’s Quay says he has attended 12 counselling sessions.

“We hear from business personnel day to day how hard it is to do business in this country. I accept that entirely. Unless we have someone willing to run businesses, we have no employment and no economy,” said Judge Connolly.

“This doesn’t help in the slightest. Each of these victims are hardworking business people who I’m sure are large employers in the area. These sorts of crimes have to be punished very severely indeed. The court must take a tougher stance as regards spree burglaries.”

There was “very significant premeditation” in the commission of these crimes, he said, noting the accused was not local to the area where these burglaries and thefts took place and that the group had specifically targeted the area.

“The premeditation is perhaps further advanced by the fact that a previously stolen vehicle was used in the commission of these crimes.”

He noted the accused man’s “shameful” record, with 36 previous convictions over 25 years.

“There were elements of sophistication in this plan. Ultimately, the final scene or final act in this crime lacked any sophistication at all, where one of the members of this group is seen at Applegreen buying black sacks to take away their ill-gotten gains. But there was an element of sophistication,” said Judge Connolly.

Among the mitigating factors, Judge Connolly noted the extensive investigation required, with 26 witnesses and “many, many hours of CCTV”, making the plea of guilty one of great value.

He imposed a sentence of four years and six months for the theft of the grey BMW from Tulsk.

The count of arson on that vehicle was taken into consideration.

Of the four burglaries, he considered the break-in at the shop in Knockcroghery to be the most substantial and set a global sentence of seven years and six months, taking the other three burglaries into consideration with that sentence.

Finally, for the criminal damage to the off-licence, he sentenced Mr Traynor to nine months imprisonment and ordered that all sentences be served concurrently to each other.

“Regrettably, it’s not appropriate to suspend any part of the sentence. He’s had many opportunities by way of suspended sentences and part suspended sentences and, unfortunately, he hasn’t taken advantage of those,” said Judge Connolly.

The sentences must also run consecutively to the one he is currently serving, as he was on bail at the time of the commission of these offences. His release date is July 8, 2027.

The full sentence of seven years and six months is proportionate to the crimes committed, Judge Connolly remarked, but on the totality principal, he opted to reduce it to a sentence of six years and six months, which will come into effect upon the expiration of his current sentence.

He also received credit for six weeks already served in custody on these charges.

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