Father of nine jailed for stealing €1k worth of Lego from Cork toy shop

Accused left Smyths Toys without paying for four large Lego sets with a total value of €1,240, court heard

Accused had been drinking before he turned up at Smyths Toys and stole the Lego sets, court told. File picture: Laura Lean/PA

Stealing more than €1,000 worth of Lego from a toy shop resulted in a father of nine being jailed for six months.

John McDonagh, 51, of 22 Ashfield Close, Bremore, Balbriggan, Dublin, visited a friend in Cork and they went drinking together. 

He later turned up at Smyths Toys, Kinsale Road, Cork, at 2.20pm on September 10.

He left the store without paying for four large Lego sets with a total value of €1,240.

He pleaded guilty to that crime at Cork District Court.

Shane Collins-Daly, solicitor, said there had been a lot of tragedies and deaths in the defendant’s family and after drinking in Cork he went to toy store — somewhere he had no business being.

“He was highly intoxicated. He had no reasonable excuse or rational explanation for taking these items,” the solicitor said.

Sergeant John Kelleher said the defendant had 176 previous convictions, including counts for burglary, making off without paying for a service and 17 counts of theft.

Judge Olann Kelleher imposed the six-month jail term.

The defendant appeared in court by video link from prison and said as the case concluded: “Thank you, judge, thank you, solicitor.” 

The theft of the Lego was detected and the stolen property was recovered by security staff just outside the premises on the day of the offence.