Man with 50 previous convictions jailed for six months for key fob theft

A 31-year-old man with 50 previous convictions has been jailed for six months for the theft of a car fob, at Killarney District Court.

Brian O’Sullivan, of Coolies, Muckross, a father of two, pleaded guilty to the theft of the fob worth €25 at Flesk House on June 23, 2015.

The electronic key fob had been left in an unlocked BMW at a private house on Muckross Rd, Killarney District Court was told by Insp John Brennan.

O’Sullivan was also before the court on a burglary charge on October 1, 2015, and his solicitor indicated he would plead guilty if the matter was dealt with in the district court. However, Judge O’Connor refused to deal with a burglary charge at district court level.

O’Sullivan was in custody having been refused bail both at district level and in the High Court.

Insp Brennan, prosecuting, outlined how at 11.40pm on June 23, O’Sullivan was walking to Coolies in Muckross when he entered private propertyand stole a fob from a BMW. The owner disturbed him and O’Sullivan fled. The owner knew him to see and he was arrested shortly afterwards. There had been no damage .

On the alleged burglary, Insp Brennan said that on October 1, at Dennehys’ Bohereen in Killarney, a man returned home shortly before 6pm to find O’Sullivan asleep in the driver’s seat of his car.

A shed had been broken into, as had a truck. When he was roused O’Sullivan became aggressive and had to be held onto with the aid of another until gardaí arrived.

Solicitor Padraig O’Connell said his client was “a lost soul”, he was a known addict, and rehabilitation so far had not been of benefit. His father was in court to offer compensation for any losses.

Judge O’Connor imposed six months on the fob charge, set recognisances in the event of appeal, refused jurisdiction on the burglary matter, and remanded him in custody to November 17 for a book of evidence.

Meanwhile, a 30-year-old man, of no fixed abode, and with 98 previous convictions, was also jailed yesterday for theft of three bottles of cider from Tesco in Manor, Tralee.

Timothy Ward had previously been told to stay out of Kerry by Judge O’Connor.

He pleaded guilty to taking a bottle of cider worth €3.79 on July 30 and to the theft the next day of two bottles of the cider from the same store.

Judge James O’Connor handed him a four-month sentence on the first theft and seven months on the second. He received eight months for making a threatening phonecall.

The sentences will run concurrently.