A thief and convicted rapist who was caught after he answered a video call on the phone he had just stolen has been told he will spend another two years in custody.Patrick Maughan (27) of Poddle Close, Kimmage, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to theft of a mobile phone on Harold’s Cross Road, Terenure, on September 15th, 2023.An additional charge of assault causing harm was taken into account after the court heard that Maughan’s accomplice, who is unlawfully at large, was the instigator and more aggressive than Maughan.Maughan’s 42 previous convictions include two for rape, two for sexual assault, one for false imprisonment, one for assault causing harm, four for theft and one for robbery.On Tuesday Maughan was given a two-year sentence, which will run consecutively to the 13-year sentence he is already serving.Garda Keith Dolan told Emmet Nolan, prosecuting, that the victim, a 64-year-old care assistant, had been given a lift to the bus stop from his friend as he was heading into work to start his shift.While the care assistant was waiting, he was speaking on the phone to his friend’s wife. A bus pulled up and Maughan and another man got off. They were shouting and acting aggressively, and the victim felt unsafe so he walked away.Dolan said that as the man walked away, Maughan’s co-accused punched him in the back of the head, knocking him to the ground. Maughan punched and kicked the victim while he was on the ground.He managed to get up and run across the road but he was chased by the two men, who continued their attack, with the other man instigating it before Maughan joined in the assault.[ Supreme Court dismisses appeal over conviction by Regency getaway driverOpens in new window ]The victim then noticed his phone was missing. The attack came to an end when a passerby pleaded with the two men to leave the man alone.Dolan said the man needed his mobile back as his bus ticket was in the phone cover. He approached the men and requested his phone be returned to him, but they told him they had thrown it into a nearby bin.The man searched through the bin but was only able to find the cover for the phone.Dolan said the victim’s friend heard the man being attacked. He called the man’s phone and an unknown man answered before hanging up.The victim’s friend rang again but requested a video call, which Maughan accepted. When he answered, the friend took a screenshot of the thief’s face.Gardaí arrived while Maughan and his accomplice were still at the scene. Maughan was searched and four mobile phones were found on him. The victim confirmed that one of those phones was his. Maughan also had a bail bond in his pocket which bore his name.[ Inquest opens into death of Brazilian cyclist who died just weeks after moving to DublinOpens in new window ]The injured party was later treated in hospital for cuts to his hands and legs.A victim impact statement was read into the record. The injured party said the incident had a significant impact on his wellbeing, health and daily life.The garda agreed with Keith Spencer, defending, that the co-accused was the initial aggressor. It was also accepted Maughan woke up in hospital with no memory of what had happened and that he had alcohol and drug addiction issues.Judge Elma Sheahan said the aggravating factors included the seriousness of the offending, the impact on the victim and Maughan’s “significant previous history of offending”, including relevant previous convictions for theft and assault causing harm.She noted the defence’s instruction that Maughan was drug free, but that no proof of this had been provided to the court.Having considered the mitigation, the judge imposed a four-year sentence. She said the court viewed it appropriate that this sentence should run consecutively to the sentence Maughan is already serving.The judge reduced the four-year sentence to two years to take into account the sentencing principles of totality and proportionality.