A 35-year-old man who committed burglaries at a number of B&Bs, by gaining access to rooms with filed down keys, was jailed for 12 months this week and could face deportation following his release.
Allan Dambuka with an address at 203A Collins Avenue, Whitehall, Dublin 9, appeared before Galway District Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to the offences brought against him.
Garda Patrick O’Shea gave evidence that on January 4, 2010, there had been a report of a burglary at Griffin Lodge, Fr Griffin Place. When he arrived at the scene a French couple, who had been staying at the B&B, told him that when they had returned to their room after breakfast they had found the defendant rifling through their belongings. Dambuka, who had also been a guest at the B&B, had been seen taking money from a wallet but immediately put it back when the couple entered the room. Garda O’Shea said that the defendant had only been in Galway for the night and had returned to Dublin.
Dambuka then returned to Galway on March 12 last and booked into Anbelle Lodge in Lower Salthill. From his investigations, Garda O’Shea was able to track the defendant down and when he entered the room Dambuka was seen discarding a “quantity of keys”. Garda O’Shea explained that a lot of older B&Bs use Basta door keys and that there is only a small number of these types which means that “one key can open many doors”. He said that the defendant had filed down one key “in an effort to gain access” to doors in the B&B. Garda O’Shea later told Judge Mary Fahy that B&Bs that have been in existence for a number of years, and which would use these types of locks and keys, were targeted.
“To say that he was caught red-handed would be appropriate,” said Judge Fahy.
Defence solicitor Adrian MacLynn said that his client was orginally from Zimbabwe and that his application for aslyum was currently in process. He said that Dambuka, who is married with one child, had left his country because of political turmoil and has been in Ireland since 2008.
Inspector Sean Glynn then informed the court that Dambuka has no previous convictions in this jurisdiction. Garda O’Shea also explained that Dambuka had been refused asylum in this country in August 2008, and that this was affirmed in August 2009. He also said that according to the immigration system Dambuka did come to the attention of the UK authorities when he was residing there.
“You’re here seeking the mercy of this country and this is the thanks you give by stealing from the inhabitants,” Judge Fahy told the defendant who then attempted to go down on his knees to beg for leniency.
“Just get up, I don’t want any of that nonsense,” said Judge Fahy, before imposing a total of 12 months in jail. Judge Fahy then told Garda O’Shea that it was incumbent on him to ensure that Dambuka was deported.
“He’s of no use to this country,” she said, before commending Garda O’Shea for his work in preventing the defendant from targeting more B&Bs.
