74-year-old great grandfather was A GETAWAY driver for burglary gang

Michael Myles Connors, from Tallaght, Dublin, drove for the gang raiding homes in Co Meath as he was banned from driving for 25 YEARS

A great grandfather was spared jail today after he admitted working as a getaway driver for two burglars raiding homes in Co Meath.

Michael Myles Connors, 74, The Avenue, Belgard Heights, Tallaght, Dublin, pleaded guilty to a charge of burglary on May 13, 2012, at Kilberry, Navan.

The gang was spotted after a woman became suspicious when one of them called to her house looking for directions to the nearest filling station.

She followed their car and when it didn't call into the filling station she alerted gardai.

Officers who were on patrol in the area saw two of the gang coming out of the driveway of a house at Kilberry where they were picked up by Connors.

The gardai stopped the car and during a search of the vehicle found two lap tops which had been taken from the house while video games taken from an earlier break-in to a house at Creewood, Slane were found in Connors pockets.

Garda Christie said the gang broke into the houses which were empty at the time by breaking windows at the rear of the premises.

Connors denied to gardai that he had broken into the houses but admitted driving the other two culprits who included one of his grandsons.

The court heard that Connors who was now a great grandfather had 94 previous convictions dating from 1959 to 2012.

The convictions included nine for burglary and at the time of the offence Connors should not have been driving as he had been banned in 2011 for twenty five years.

A defence barrister said his client was a widower who lived alone and had to use an oxygen tank everyday as he's chronically ill with a number of complaints and also had early signs of dementia.

He urged Judge Michael O Shea not to jail Connors and give him one final chance so he could live out his life in peace.

Judge O'Shea told the lawyer that Connors' age could not be used as a shield.

He said that Connors had been part of a joint venture and had driven the other two to the house and had been the driver of the getaway car.

The judge sentenced Connors to two and a half years which he suspended on condition the defendant enter a bond of €200 to be of good behaviour for three years.

SOURCE-IRISH MIRROR