A 51-year-old man, described as the leader of an organised crime gang, has been sentenced to a total of nine years in prison, after pleading guilty to charges relating to burglaries carried out in several counties.
Edward Connors Senior, of Bridgeview, Cloverhill Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, was arrested in a car which had signal blockers to disrupt garda communications, refuelling equipment, and tools which had been used in several burglaries.
He was arrested in November 2024 when a car he was driving was intercepted by the garda Emergency Response Unit, near Johnstownbridge, Co Kildare.
Edward Connors Senior's son, Larry, also of Bridgeview, Cloverhill Road, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, and his nephew, Edward Connors Junior, of Fettercairn, Tallaght, Dublin 24, were passengers in the car. Both men, who share the same birth date in March 1996, were also arrested.
Today’s sentencing hearing at Sligo Circuit Criminal Court heard evidence about the lengthy investigation that led to their detention.
Judge Kenneth Connolly was told that burglaries had been carried out at various locations around the country, in the preceding months.
The operation to stop the vehicle - a high powered Volkswagen Polo - followed a detailed inquiry, involving detectives from across the west and north-west.
It commenced in February 2023, following a number of break-ins at pubs, and continued until the arrests were made on 29 November 2024.
The three defendants entered guilty pleas to a number of charges last January.
Edward Connors Senior admitted his involvement in two burglaries at pubs in counties Sligo and Tipperary as well as to charges of criminal damage, participation in a criminal organisation, handling stolen property and possession of articles used to commit crimes.
Larry Connors entered guilty pleas to a charge of burglary in Co Roscommon, handling stolen property and possession of certain articles, contrary to Section 15 of the Theft and Fraud Act.
Edward Connors Junior admitted handling stolen property and possession of certain articles.
John Francis Hayden SC, for the State, said the pleas were acceptable to the Director of Public Prosecutions, remarking that they avoided what would have been a long trial.
He told the court that gardaí believed the three accused were members of the Edward Connors organised crime gang, which had carried out burglaries across the country.
'Patriarchal command structure'
He said their investigation had found "commonalities" in relation to the gang’s activities. It had a "patriarchal command structure", with one man in control of operations, directing others to carry out "strategic roles", such as disarming alarms and conducting look-out duties.
Detective Garda Conor Jordan told the court that the investigation had found a "continuous thread" in relation to the gait and clothing of the individuals involved and the implements they used.
A number of these items, including a screwdriver, nailbar, gloves and a torch, were captured on CCTV footage at various locations the gang burgled.
These were among the contents found in the car they were travelling in, when it was stopped on the night of 29 November, 2024.
Hats, false number plates, cleaning products, a telescopic ladder, walkie talkies and zip-lock bags containing stolen jewellery were also recovered.
Detective Jordan said a signal blocker found in the car was capable of interfering with or disrupting garda radio systems operating in a short radius, as well as masking any communication from the vehicle.
He told the court Edward Connors Senior lived in Bridgeview Halting site in the Clondalkin area of Dublin. He has 58 previous convictions, including a suspended sentence issued by a German court in 2023.
Edward Connors Senior was given a 12 year prison sentence in 2014 for robbery and has also been jailed for burglary and handling stolen property in the past.
He has several additional convictions for driving offences.
His barrister, Delia Flynn, outlined her client’s background, which she said had involved a "litany of tragedy", and noted that his guilty plea had saved the State considerable resources, by avoiding a lengthy trial.
She said all the offences were carried out in premises that were unoccupied at the time and did not involve any violence on any person.
Evidence in relation to the charges against Larry Connors, centred on a burglary at a house in Dysert, Co Roscommon on 29 November 2024, in which a significant amount of cash, totalling over €10,000 was taken.
None of the cash was recovered.
Detective Garda John Duggan detailed how a footprint at the scene was matched to footwear Larry Connors had been wearing at the time of his arrest.
He told the court the father of two had a number of previous convictions for robbery, public order and burglary.
Des Dockery SC said there was no evidence to connect his client with the other burglaries being considered by the court. He said Larry Connors told the Probation Service he had been motivated to get involved in the burglary in Roscommon as a result of financial considerations linked to a drug and alcohol habit.
Detective Garda Peter Cawley gave evidence in relation to the charges to which Edward Connors Junior had pleaded guilty.
He had been a front seat passenger in the car, driven by his uncle, on the night of 29 November 2024.
He is currently serving a six year sentence for burglary, which was imposed last year, in connection with an offence dating from 2017.
His barrister, Eileen O’Leary, told the court he had engaged in a number of courses during his time on in custody on remand.
Victim impact statements on behalf of a number of those linked to the case were read into the record.
Pat Twomey from Monard, Co Tipperary said a burglary on his pub ended his involvement in the business, after it impacted negatively on his and his wife’s health.
Eoin Carthy, whose home in Dysert was burgled said the actions of the Connors had greatly affected his life and meant he no longer felt safe in his own home, leaving him feeling violated and on edge. He said the emotional and financial impact of the offence on his family would be felt for years to come.
Alan Lavin from Frenchpark, Co Roscommon detailed how he followed a vehicle down a road leading to his mother’s home before three masked men emerged from it, attacking his van and driving a hatchet through several panels on it. He said there was relief that the Connors had been apprehended.
'A very serious criminal' - judge
Describing Edward Connors Senior as "a very serious criminal", with an "appalling record of previous convictions", Judge Connolly said he had engaged in activities which were carried out in a bold and casual manner.
He had displayed no sense of fear and had engaged in what could be described as "casual lawlessness".
Referring to CCTV footage shown in court, he said Edward Connors Senior was "clearly the leader of the pack… the on-site person allocating roles for each individual and specifying tasks".
Judge Connolly said an "utterly robust message" needed to be sent out by the court, given the scourge and impact of criminal activity on rural communities and businesses.
He imposed a nine year sentence for Edward Connors Senior’s participation in a criminal organisation, with concurrent sentences of five years for the two burglary charges; two years and nine months for handling stolen property and two years four months for possession of articles to commit crimes.
The sentences have been backdated to 29 November 2024 when Edward Connors Senior was arrested.
Larry Connors was given a six year sentence for burglary, with the final 12 months suspended, subject to a number of conditions. Sentences for the other charges he pleaded guilty to will run concurrently.
A probation report for Edward Connors Junior has yet to be finalised. Ms O’Leary said her client was anxious for this to be completed before sentencing. She pointed out that aside from the charges to which he had entered pleas, there was nothing to connect him to the other offences the court heard about today.
Judge Connolly acceded to that request and adjourned sentencing until July.
He also commended gardaí for the painstaking investigation they carried out and congratulated detective inspectors Ray Mulderrig and John Costello, who led the inquiry.
He said he had rarely seen such a level of investigative policing, which had taken huge resources and time.
