Man jailed for role in aggravated burglary may have acted ‘under duress’

A MAN who terrorised and threatened to kill another man with a sword during a violent aggravated burglary was jailed for 10 years...

A MAN who terrorised and threatened to kill another man with a sword during a violent aggravated burglary was jailed for 10 years with the final 18 months suspended.

The victim, Erol Ibrahim, from Moyross, who it was heard in court is known to Gardaí, was also beaten with an air-gun and threatened that he’d be shot during the burglary.

Darragh Manning (25), of Clyde Hill Mews, St Alphonsus Street, Limerick, pleaded guilty at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court to the aggravated burglary, in which he also assaulted and threatened to kill Ibrahim, and caused criminal damage to the apartment.

Judge Colin Daly said a 13-year jail term was an appropriate “headline sentence”, which he reduced to 10 and suspended the final 18 months, having considered Mr Manning’s guilty plea on a full facts basis, along with the assertion that Manning may have been acting under duress from others.

Manning, who giggled and smirked in court, filmed the attack. The video footage was shared on social media at the time, the court heard.

The footage, played in court, showed Manning and another unidentified man, described in court as “Mr X”, threatening Ibrahim with a sword and airgun at an apartment in Limerick City where Ibrahim was staying on January 21, 2025.

Mr X, wearing a mask, pointed the gun at Ibrahim, who was cowering in a corner of a room. He threatened Ibrahim with the gun while Manning, who was also covering his face for a period, shouted “shoot the rat”.

Ibrahim believed the gun was real and capable of firing bullets, said prosecuting barrister, John O’Sullivan.

In the footage, Ibrahim was told he would be stabbed “to death” and that he should “pray like a little b*tch”.

Gardaí said the motive for the attack was still under investigation.

Armed Gardaí were deployed to the apartment but the men had gone. When they later spoke to Ibrahim, he told them he had been “trying to keep his head down”.

Gardaí later arrested Manning and, during a search of his home, they found the clothes and runners he had worn during the attack, as well as a screwdriver which was also seen in the attack video.

Mr O’Sullivan said Manning left a mobile phone in Ibrahim’s apartment. Gardaí also matched a shoe print from a bedside locker at Ibrahim’s apartment to Manning’s runners.

The seized phone contained a video showing Manning holding the airgun on his lap as he and Mr X rode in a taxi to Ibrahim’s apartment, the court heard.

Clothing, a large knife or sword, an imitation firearm, and attached magazine and pellet were later recovered by Gardaí near the scene.

Mr O’Sullivan said Ibrahim had “his own challenges with the criminal justice system” and there “appeared to be an organised criminality involvement” in the attack.

However, Manning’s barrister, senior counsel Lorcan Connolly, told the court: “The act of filming oneself isn’t indicative of this man (Manning) being involved in a criminal organisation.”

Mr Connolly argued that Manning was vulnerable and something of an “idiot” for having gotten involved and for also showing his face in the attack video.

Manning had 89 previous convictions, including for burglary, criminal damage, theft, escape from custody, stealing cars, possession of drugs, possession of knives.

Mr Connolly said that during Manning’s interviews with Gardaí after his arrest, Manning “exercised his right to silence”, and that the only thing he told Gardaí was: “I did stupid stuff, I was on tablets.”

Mr Connolly argued that Manning “is not a sophisticated seasoned criminal”.

“He’s a drug user who is constantly caught in possession and preyed upon by others. He didn’t have a good childhood; he was on drugs at the time, it’s not an excuse but it does give context,” said Mr Connolly.

“It is one of the most serious offences on the Statute, but he was preyed upon, he is an amateur, an idiot, and a fool perhaps,” added Connolly.