‘Obsessive’ stealing leads to jail sentence

A kleptomaniac was jailed for seven months yesterday for multiple counts of shop-lifting at outlets in Cork City.

Jonathan O’Sullivan, of 30 Fairfield Avenue, Farranree, Cork, pleaded guilty to counts of theft that ranged from stealing an iPhone 5 at Jacque’s restaurant on Oliver Plunkett St on September 20, 2014, to stealing a flask from Hickey’s on Maylor St on Tuesday this week.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said unlike many people coming before the courts who shoplifted to raise money for drugs, that was not the case with O’Sullivan. Mr Buttimer categorised his client as a kleptomaniac.