Delivery driver to be sentenced later for theft

A delivery man will be sentenced later for participating in a series of thefts of retail goods on Dublin’s south side.

Gavin Richardson (aged 24) acted as a driver for the thieves as they stole thousands of euro in mobile phones, televisions and pharmacy goods on November 5, 2009. He was caught driving the truck later that day and all the goods were recovered.

Richardson of Dunard Avenue, Navan Road pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three counts of handling stolen property at Fairy Hill Blackrock on the November date. He has 19 previous convictions, all for traffic offences.

Garda David L’Estrange told prosecuting counsel, Mr Pieter Le Vert BL, that two men dressed as delivery people went into the Carphone Warehouse on Georges Street in Dun Laoghaire and claimed the store had been given the wrong order and they had to take it back.

After a conversation with staff they left with €7,579 worth of mobile phones and laptops. One of the managers became suspicious and followed the men outside where he saw them load the goods into a van.

Later that day a DHL van was making a delivery at Blackrock Shopping Centre. The driver returned to his van and saw the same men unloading televisions from his vehicle and putting them into Richardson’s van. They took 11 pallets of Panasonic televisions worth €7,050 before escaping.

Later in the day €475 worth of pharmacy supplies were taken from a United Drug delivery truck. These mostly consisted of cough sweets and Lemsip.

Gardaí in the area were given a description of Richardson’s van and he was spotted later that day in Foxrock. When gardai pulled the van over he got out and fled. Gardai chased him for about 20 minutes until he was caught by a garda on a bicycle.

In interview he said he had been asked to collect some items but claimed he did not know they would be stolen. He said he was told he would get “a couple of hundred” for the use of his van which he needed as he had no money.

Defence counsel, Mr Luigi Rea BL, said his client had left school at 16 and had worked in several jobs since, including most recently as a delivery driver.

Judge Katherine Delahunt ordered that a probation report be prepared on Richardson and remanded him on continuing bail until February.