Five months for Clondalkin man who stole €200 from St Vincent de Paul shop
By Brendan Grehan
A MAN who burgled €200 cash from the St Vincent De Paul shop in Clondalkin was jailed for five months by Blanchardstown District Court.
Jailing Michael Connors, Judge David McHugh told one of the court gardai: “Take him down”.
Connors’ counsel, Alan Delany BL, told the court that his client is a gay member of the Travelling community and his family disowned him when he came out.
Mr Delany said Connors’ father had accepted his son after a time.
Connors, aged 25, with an address at St Mary's Close, Belgard Road, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to burglary at the St Vincent De Paul Shop, Clondalkin, on March 21, 2016.
Sergeant Maria Callaghan told Judge McHugh that at 3.08pm on March 21, 2016, Connors entered the St Vincent De Paul shop in Clondalkin with another male and a child.
She said Connors entered the office at the back of the shop three times and stole €200 cash. She said Connors was identified from the CCTV footage.
Sgt. Callaghan said Connors has 33 previous convictions.
He had received 60 hours community service for two counts of theft in Bray District Court on May 20 last.
Mr Delany said his client had not been in trouble over the last 12 months. He said Connors was finding life very difficult.
Judge McHugh noted that Connors had stolen €200 from a charity shop.
He asked Mr Delany why his client had committed such a crime.
Mr Delany said Connors had been under the influence of drink and drugs at the time.
Judge McHugh sentenced Connors to five months imprisonment.
He said the crime was “reprehensible” and commented that Connors had been treated leniently by the courts before.
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