Shoplifter stole €1,000 worth of meat

A SHOPLIFTER who stole more than €1,000 worth of meat to feed a drugs habit has been told he faces four months in prison.

Padraig Kelly is due to be jailed for several supermarket thefts but Judge Gerard Jones deferred sentencing so Kelly can put his “affairs in order”.

Kelly, a 44-year-old plasterer with an address at St Mark’s Drive, Clondalkin, pleaded guilty at Blanchardstown District Court to theft charges.

Sergeant Maria Callaghan said Kelly stole €438 worth of meat products at Aldi, Fonthill Road, Clondalkin on February 2, 2021.

He took steaks and meat valued at €160 from the same shop on February 16 this year and €414 on January 7.

Kelly stole €632 worth of meat from Aldi. Old Lucan Road on August 7, 2018 and a set of earphones valued at €112 at Tesco Liffey Valley on August 20 that year. He placed the headphones in the waistband of his trousers but they were recovered when he was stopped.

Kelly had 39 previous convictions for offences including theft.

The accused had only got into trouble in the last six to seven years, his solicitor John O’Doherty said. He started taking drugs after he was traumatised on finding his best friend dead, Mr O’Doherty said.

All the offences were to feed his drug habit. Before he began getting into trouble in his 30s, Kelly was a “hard-working individual”. Mr O’Doherty asked the judge not to pass sentence yet, but to give him “a couple of weeks to get his affairs in order”.

The judge said he would be imposing a four month sentence but adjourned the case to October 7. “I won’t be changing my mind,” he warned.