Man pleads guilty to deception

A man accused of multiple counts of deception at a company based at Tivoli in Cork confessed to several sample charges today.

A man accused of multiple counts of deception at a company based at Tivoli in Cork confessed to several sample charges yesterday.

Patrick Barrett, aged 33, of 22 An Sruthán, Cúlard, Carrigtwohill, County Court, was arraigned at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday where he replied, guilty, to several charges.

The first charge stated that on an unknown date between April 1 and September 30 2018 at Minteq Europe Ltd, Tivoli industrial estate, Tivoli, he did dishonestly appropriate property, namely part of 120SQ earth cable valued at €1,124, without the consent of its owner with the intention of depriving him of the property.

Barrett pleaded guilty to that count and to similar counts referring to the theft of €4,600 worth of cable during the period July 27 to July 30 2018, and €4,869 worth of cable from July 9 to September 30 2018.

The last two counts referred to theft of an Apple iPhone 6S valued approximately €500 and a Dell Latitude laptop valued approximately €500 on dates unknown between September 28 and September 30, 2018, to which he pleaded guilty.

Defence barrister Donal O’Sullivan said the pleas of guilty to those five charges were on the basis that they represented sample counts on an 18-count indictment and that he would be sentenced on the basis of the facts pertaining to all of the charges on the indictment.

Mr O’Sullivan said it would become apparent at the sentencing hearing that Barrett co-operated in full with the investigation and had come forward and pleaded guilty as quickly as he could. The barrister also said that Patrick Barrett had no previous convictions.

“One glaring issue is compensation. I am not going to say he will be in a position to put it all forward in one go. He will need some time,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

Ray Boland prosecution barrister said there was no state objection to the case going back on the basis that compensation was being raised.

Judge Brian O’Callaghan put sentencing back to November 22 for sentencing at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

No reports on the accused were required by the defence. Mr Boland said that the prosecution would present a victim impact statement from the owner of the stolen property.