AN IRISHMAN who robbed a pensioner of £4 shortly before Christmas while wearing a Mayo GAA top has been jailed for 32 months at Snaresbrook Crown Court.
Dermot Eoghan Hunt, 39 of Archway, north London and previously of Brickens, Co. Mayo, appeared at the east London court on Friday, August 11, where he had pleaded guilty in May this year.
The Irish electrician was sentenced to 32 months for the knifepoint robbery with a bladed article after he had produced the weapon to carry out a callous robbery of an elderly man.
Previously, the court heard how Hunt had approached his 71-year-old victim shortly before 11pm at Langdon Park DLR station on December 9, 2016.
Dermot Hunt pleaded guilty and was jailed (Picture: Met Police)Presenting a weapon, Hunt then asked the elderly man, ‘What have you got?’ before robbing him of £4.
In a previous hearing Hunt, dressed in a sombre navy suit and with his eyes cast down, listened as his victim recounted in court the after-effects of the incident, saying Hunt had walked away with more than money.
"He walked away with my confidence to walk the streets of east London where I spent two thirds of my life," he said.
"That can never be replaced."
Previously, the defence and prosecution disputed the weapon used after Hunt admitted carrying a Leatherman multi-tool kit.
The law in England and Wales carries different sentencing according to whether or not a weapon is bladed or non-bladed.
Representing the Irishman, defence counsel said it was a one-off situation, and that Hunt had been high on heroin and crack cocaine since noon on the day of the offence.
Hunt, who had received treatment for his drug issues while in Ireland, had a previous good character, but had suffered with depression following the death of his father Dermot and brother Tommy – who had worked in London for British Rail – within days of each other eight years ago.
Hunt had returned to Ireland in January this year where his family were unaware of the offence he had committed, but following a social media plea to identify the man who robbed the elderly victim, Hunt phoned police from Ireland and identified himself.
He was arrested in Essex on April 3.
During a police interview, Hunt admitted the offence and said he was ‘ashamed’ of what he had done. He also said that he ‘would never have used the weapon to 'hurt’ the victim, but instead used it for ‘fear’.
Dermot Eoghan Hunt will serve his 32 month sentence at Pentonville Prison in north London.
This article was amended on August 15 to reflect that fact that following his guilty plea Dermot Eoghan Hunt’s sentence was brought down to 32 months by the judge.
