Two years for man who repeatedly stole from yacht clubs

A drug addict who repeatedly broke into two Dún Laoghaire yacht clubs and stole 21 people’s belongings as well as a car and €600 in cash has been sentenced to two years in prison.

Stephen Walsh (aged 26) of Portland Row, Dublin 1 said he broke into the Royal Irish Yacht Club on Harbour Road and the Royal St George Yacht Club on Queens Road to get money to feed his cocaine and heroin addiction.

Judge Katherine Delahunt suspended the final 12 months of the term on condition Walsh engages with the probation service and drug treatment programmes.

He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to trespass and theft at the Royal Irish Yacht Club three times and the Royal St George Club twice between April 14 and August 6, 2007. He also admitted stealing a Volkswagen Golf, worth €29,000, from outside the Royal Irish club after taking the keys from a locker room.

Detective Sergeant Sean Allen told prosecuting counsel, Mr Tony McGillicuddy BL, that on one occasion Walsh broke into a locker room in the Royal St George and stole 15 people’s belongings, including mobile phones and cash.

On another occasion he entered the bar area of the Royal Irish and opened the till before making off with €600.

Det. Sgt Allen said gardaí arrested Walsh after identifying him on CCTV footage from Dún Laoghaire Harbour. Walsh admitted the thefts and said he targeted the yacht clubs because they were easy to break into.

He had sold the car on to buy drugs and it was recovered five months later. Defence counsel, Mr Luigi Rea BL, stressed that, although the premises both had 'Royal' in their title, there was no political motive to the thefts.

He submitted that Walsh regretted his actions and had apologised through the gardaí to the people he had stolen from.