Romanian ‘part of criminal activity’
Florin Matiche, aged 37, of 13 Bishopscourt Drive, Bishopstown, admitted his part in taking 10 stolen €200 notes to a bank to exchange for €50 notes and then wiring the money home to Romania.
The money had been taken from a house earlier the same day at Bishopstown in the city.
At Cork District Court yesterday. Judge David Riordan judge also imposed a consecutive sentence of eight months, which Matiche will have to serve after the nine months unless he pays €2,000 compensation to the family whose house was burgled.
Garda David Craig said Matiche got a taxi from the AIB on Bishopstown Rd after exchanging the cash. Gardaí stopped the taxi at Western Rd. He did not have the €2,000 but did have over €400 worth of other currencies, including Chinese, Japanese, Thai and English, and jewellery — all of which were taken in the burglary.
Tom Coughlan, defence solicitor, said someone had given Matiche the cash and items. He claimed the defendant had come to Ireland three months ago to get a job and start a new life but it had not worked out. “It has been nothing but trouble,” he said, adding that Matiche plans to return to Romania after serving a sentence.
He pleaded guilty to handling the stolen cash and jewellery at Western Rd and handling the stolen €2,000 at the bank on Jan 19.
The defendant was fined for theft three months ago and got a seven-day jail sentence for a second theft conviction after that.
“What comes across is that he came to this country to get employment yet, from the get-go, he was involved in thieving in this country,” Judge Riordan said.
“Nothing will convince me otherwise than that Mr Matiche is part of an organised system of criminal activity and he is part and parcel of this endeavour.”
