A back seat passenger who held a rope around a taxi driver’s neck as he was robbed at knifepoint by his accomplice in the front has been jailed for two and a half years.

Brendan Boylan (34) claimed he was put under pressure to take part in the robbery to repay a drug debt and said he was in fear of “getting a bullet or a blade.”

Boylan, of Bangor Road, Crumlin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbery of €600 from a taxi driver at Ballymount Road on January 22, 2012. He has 16 previous convictions.

Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two and a half year sentence. He said given Boylan’s age he would not involve The Probation Service and he would have to “sink or swim” on his own.

Garda Damien Quirke told Diarmuid Collins BL, prosecuting, the taxi driver picked up two men and drove to Ballymount Road where he pulled in. The backseat passenger put a rope around his neck and the front seat passenger demanded money.

The taxi driver, who was in fear for his life, saw a large kitchen knife in the front seat passenger’s hand and felt the rope pulled tightly around his neck.

The victim handed over a total of €600 before the men left in different directions. The man with the knife cut the taxi driver’s radio machinery before leaving.

The taxi driver pursued one of the men but lost him. As he drove around later he saw gardai had stopped the backseat passenger and he was able to identify him.

Boylan admitted holding the rope and told gardai this offence was to go some way to clearing a drug debt. He said he was afraid he would get a “bullet or a blade” if he did not take part. He said he did not owe money to the person who had committed the robbery but to someone “higher up.”

The taxi driver did not wish to submit a victim impact report.

Boylan’s father told Seoirse O’Dunlaing BL, defending, that the death of two family members had a bad effect on his son and he had “gone off the rails.” He said his son was “basically a gilly, he is being used.”

He said his son could live with him on his release and he would do his best to get him employment.

Mr O’Dunlaing said Boylan had an addiction for a large number of years and had made efforts to deal with it. He said he had €500 available for the taxi driver. He asked the court to take into account this was a man operating under a drug debt.