Shop worker who stole cigarettes worth over €1,500 avoids jail

A Bangladeshi national working in a shop in Cork waited until the store was closed and stole more than €1,500 worth of cigarettes over a five-week period.

Shoumen Mandal, aged 28, was working at SuperValu at Old Youghal Road, Mayfield, Cork.

Remanded in custody for seven days on the theft charges, Mandal was back before Cork District Court yesterday where he pleaded guilty to all counts.

The offences were divided into five charges covering different periods between Jul 23 and Aug 28.

Inspector Mary King said that he stole 152 packets of Benson & Hedges cigarettes from the store.

The inspector said his modus operandi was to wait until the shop was closed and then steal a number of 20-cigarette packets before going home.

The thefts were eventually detected through a stock-take and later monitored through CCTV.

When gardaí questioned Mandal about the matter, he admitted the thefts.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said the defendant had been working in Cork for about three years. He said the Mandal became depressed following the death of his mother and he started drinking too much.

Mandal, of no fixed address, was smoking some of the cigarettes and selling more of them because of his financial difficulties, he said. Mr Buttimer said Mandal was anxious to return to his father in Bangladesh.

Noting that the defendant had no previous convictions, Judge Con O’Leary imposed a three-month suspended jail sentence on him. The judge remarked that the seven days Mandal was held on remand was more than some people sentenced to jail terms actually served in prison.