Dublin dad ‘caught red-handed’ stealing cash from dementia sufferer (89), court hears

Note how this thief preying on the vulnerable elderly is given the moniker 'Dublin Dad' by the press - just like someone you would meet down at the local pub (if you lived in Dublin of course). 

A father of two has been accused of stealing cash from an 89-year-old dementia sufferer after going to her home and “distracting” her.

Ranilo Canilang (46) ­allegedly watched the woman’s house until he knew she was on her own before taking €140 in cash from her purse.

Judge Gerard Jones refused bail at Dublin District Court and remanded the accused in custody, for DPP directions.

Mr Canilang, of The Boulevard, Bealing Village, Tyrrelstown, is charged with burglary.

Garda John McGowan said Mr Canilang replied “so sorry” to the charge after caution.

Objecting to bail, the garda said there were two earlier incidents where money went missing from the alleged victim’s purse.

She told her grandniece, who was her primary carer, that a male carer had visited her house. The grandniece was aware that none of the carers were male and this aroused suspicion, so she had CCTV cameras installed.

On September 11, the alleged victim said she was missing €140 which had been in her purse the previous evening. When CCTV was viewed, Gda McGowan said, a man with a face mask and baseball cap was seen having an interaction with the alleged victim at the door.

They entered the house and the man was seen positioning the alleged victim in a chair before giving her a book.

It was alleged that he got her handbag open while she was distracted, took money from the purse and put it in his pocket. He left after the incident, which lasted two minutes, the garda said.

The CCTV was shared on social media and two members of the public contacted gardaí. One identified the suspect, saying he had been a carer for their father.

Another witness said they had worked with the suspect for five years, the garda said.

It was alleged clothing seen on the CCTV footage was found in the accused’s home.

According to gardaí, the alleged offence was a “premeditated act”. Mr Canilang had seen the alleged victim two years earlier, knew where she lived and “had been watching her house and knew she was on her own”, the garda alleged.

The accused, who was presumed innocent, had been in Ireland for 23 years and had no previous convictions, his barrister Ciara Murray said, applying for bail. There was nothing to suggest he was a risk to anyone, she said.

Judge Jones said it was a “most serious matter” and the allegation was that Mr Canilang was “caught red-handed”.

Source