Cork teen tells court theft of gift for girlfriend's 16th birthday was 'embarrassing and cruel'

This was only one of many such thefts carried out by 34-year-old John Campion of St. Vincent’s hostel in Cork City in the past year

Sentencing had to be put back on a number of other burglary/theft type offences committed by John Campion until May 27 as victim impact statements had to be prepared. File picture: Larry Cummins

A teenager who had birthday presents for his girlfriend’s 16th birthday in his schoolbag had this stolen from his school, a court has heard.

In a victim impact statement he described the theft as “annoying, embarrassing and cruel”. Judge Mary Dorgan agreed with the victim and said it was a nasty type of theft, where John Campion trespassed at Fr Rock’s school in Cork City centre and took the backpack which was never recovered.