Charity box thief gets nine months jail for 'mean' crime

Accused, who was homeless, stole from collection boxes on two different dates

The accused told the court he took the money because he was homeless. Picture: Larry Cummins

A “particularly mean type of crime” saw a 30-year-old man being jailed for nine months.

Judge Olann Kelleher made this comment as he imposed the sentence on Edward O’Donoghue, of Cork Simon community, at Cork District Court.

Sergeant John Kelleher outlined the background to two offences committed by the accused, both of which involved stolen charity collection boxes.

The sergeant said that at High Street, Wilton, Cork, on April 3, he was seen emptying money from a plastic charity box.

Garda Danielle Porter approached the man who ran from her. He was apprehended a short distance away. Approximately €48 in cash was retrieved.

“He admitted he was homeless and was in Bishopstown asking priests for money. He said he found the charity box and took the money out because he was homeless and had no money,” the sergeant said. The charity collection box was for the Neurofibromatosis Association of Ireland.

O’Donoghue pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of stolen arising out of that incident.

In a second incident where he pleaded guilty to theft, on June 3 he entered Firgrove service station and took a charity collection box for Bishopstown Lions Club. A total of €170 in cash had been collected for the purchase of a defibrillator.

Defence solicitor, Shane Collins-Daly accepted that it was mean type of offence, as described Judge Kelleher. He said the accused was relying on emergency accommodation at the time and had certain addiction difficulties. However, he said that the accused had been in custody since June and was doing well in prison.