€1.99 shoplifting case is dismissed
Inspector Mary King said contact had been made with Dunnes Stores and that it was happy to send a representative to court but was not in a position to do so yesterday.
Judge Con O’Leary had adjourned the case last week for someone from Dunnes Stores to explain its policy.
The judge yesterday said he was going to dismiss the offence under the Probation of Offenders Act because Dunnes Stores “don’t have sufficient interest to come to court”.
“They put the State to the considerable expense of bringing the prosecution and the expense of free legal aid but they won’t spare someone to come to court today,” he said.
Insp King said last week that her understanding was that it was company policy for Dunnes Stores to report to gardaí any incident of shoplifting detected by their security staff, irrespective of the value of the item.
“I don’t want to be told it is company policy but I need to know why it is company policy. If the representative says it is company policy that will not assist me,” Judge O’Leary said last week.
He expressed concern about the cost to the State of bringing a prosecution in a case where the value of goods stolen from the store — and recovered by security staff — amounted to €1.99.
Insp King had outlined the case: She said Jaoaquim Morais, aged 38, of Lower Killeens, Commons Rd, was seen in Dunnes Stores, Ballyvolane, on July 29 taking 24 Paracetamol tablets and slipping them into a Lemsip box and then paying only for the Lemsip.
Morais pleaded guilty to this theft last week. He was present in court both last week and yesterday with his solicitor, Emmet Boyle, who represented him on free legal aid.
