‘Cunning thief’ who stole manhole covers avoids jail

A “cunning thief” who concocted “a fairytale story” regarding the disappearance of 15 steel manhole covers yesterday escaped jail.

At Ennis District Court, Judge Patrick Durcan said 20-year-old Jonathan Shane O’Donoghue, of Bog Road, Tulla, Co Clare, should carry out 120 hours’ community work for the offence.

At the court hearing prior to yesterday, Judge Durcan said that he had “in mind a lengthy prison sentence” for O’Donoghue who pleaded guilty in connection with the disappearance of the 15 steel manhole covers from the Ennis to Gort motorway.