Man gets suspended jail term after burgling ship

A man was sentenced to a suspended 18-month prison term yesterday for burgling a ship. Rory Moore, who lives at a flat at St Joseph’s Villas, Blackrock Road, Cork, was sentenced for boarding the Celtic Voyager shop at Albert Quay, Cork, and stealing laptops and cameras.

Wed, 29 Apr, 2015 - 01:00

Liam Heylin

Garda Kieran Maher said on November 28 2012, Moore boarded the vessel at Albert Quay and went to a number of rooms and stole electrical items including cameras and laptops worth €4,100.

Only €1,000 worth of the items were recovered and the remainder were sold by Moore for a fraction of their actual value to buy drugs.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin was told the Celtic Voyager is a ship used by marine scientists for surveying work.

The €1,000 worth of items that were recovered were found in the defendant’s home. When questioned he admitted the burglary and said he entered the vessel through a fish hatch.

Judge Ó Donnabháin had put sentencing back a number of times and finalised it yesterday saying, “Mr Moore has a truly tragic background. He was in effect homeless. The real issue was whether a structure could be put in place for me to rely on that he was tending to treatment. He has made determined efforts but his homelessness is still unresolved,” he said.

The judge said that in all the circumstances he was prepared to impose a suspended jail term.

Garda Maher previously testified when they went to the defendant’s house and found stolen property they they also found a €1,000 stash of cannabis. Moore admitted having that drug for sale or supply. The suspended jail sentence imposed yesterday also covered that offence.