A man has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for robbing an 81-year-old American tourist in Killarney.
Tomas Starodubcevas, who is in his 20s, formerly of Tudor Lodge, Woodlawn Road, Killarney, was sentenced at Tralee Circuit Court this week on one count of robbery.
The woman broke her arm when she fell during the tussle from which the man robbed her handbag, and the court heard her recovery has been long and painful.
The victim in this case, Andrea Bartlett, was on holidays in Ireland with her 83-year-old husband for their 54th wedding anniversary, and were tracing their ancestral roots.
At about 7:40pm on 22nd April 2024, as Ms Bartlett and her husband walked back from dinner, Mr Starodubcevas grabbed her handbag off her shoulder, robbing it and its contents.
In the tussle, he caused her to fall and break her arm and Mr Starodubcevas ran off with the bag.
Ms Bartlett previously gave a victim impact statement in court, in which she described her recovery as long and painful, and it took three months before she could sleep lying down due to her injuries.
She said her husband provided amazing care, but she depended on him totally in her recovery.
Her balance was terrible following the attack and she walked with a cane for about three months.
She acknowledged the support she received from the people of Killarney who assisted her after she was attacked.
Ms Bartlett said the financial impact from this attack and her injuries was around $12,000.
Defending Mr Starodubcevas, barrister Katie O’Connell said he was 23 at the time, from Lithuania and worked in hospitality and as a labourer.
She said he was in fear for his life at the time over drug debt, and didn’t mean to hurt Ms Bartlett when robbing her; she said he made a stupid decision under the influence of drugs, but he is profoundly sorry.
Ms O’Connell said he acknowledges this had catastrophic consequences for the victim but it is totally out of character.
Judge Ronan Munro said he planned to pick on someone extremely vulnerable, who broke her arm.
In mitigation, Judge Munro said he pleaded guilty early, had no relevant previous convictions, and prison would be difficult for him.
He set a headline sentence of four years, reduced this to three years, and suspended the final 20 months on condition he engages with the probation services.
Having already served six months, he now has another ten months to serve.
Judge Munro told Mr Starodubcevas, “When you’re on drugs, you’re a very dangerous man”, and he said Ms Bartlett made the world a safer place by making a complaint as he needed to be taken off the streets.
