'I went to prison as a shoplifter and I came out a heroin addict': Cork man asks judge not to jail him

Accused appealed to judge not to send him back to prison for multiple shoplifting offences since his release from custody

Accused told court prison destroyed his life.

A young Bandon man complained in court that he went into Cork prison as a shoplifter and came out as a heroin addict.

Since his release from prison he has been charged with multiple shoplifting offences — some of them only occurring in the past few days — but he appealed to Judge Mary Dorgan not to remand him in custody on the new counts.

He said he would stay out of Cork City, live in Bandon and get treatment for his newfound problem with heroin.

Defendant Michael O’Driscoll said: “I would be away from bad company. I would be away from drugs.

“I ended up on heroin in prison. I never in my life took heroin before. I am trying to nip it in the bud and get into treatment. Prison is not going to do me any good. I don’t want to go to a full-blown addiction.

“I am hooked on drugs now that I might not be able to get off.

“I went to prison as a shoplifter and I came out a heroin addict. Look at the track marks on my arm.” 

Sergeant Gearóid Davis put it to the young man in cross-examination during his bail application: “How do you stop going to prison? You stop committing crime. You are blaming everybody except yourself.” 

The 26-year-old said he was the one who took the drugs and he was not blaming anyone except himself.

When Judge Mary Dorgan refused bail because of the repeat nature of the alleged theft offences, especially in recent days, and remanded him in custody for a week, Mr O’Driscoll spoke up again, criticising the decision to remand him in custody.

Complaining about prison he said: “Where was the bereavement counselling? Where was the drug counselling. It destroyed my life.” 

The accused said he had been living at Cushing Place in Farranree but would be welcome to live with a relative at Kilbeggan, Bandon, Co Cork, if granted bail.

Ten shoplifting and other charges include: causing criminal damage to a sign; causing €150 damage outside Centra on Grand Parade on September 1; stealing €140 worth of clothing at Lifestyle Sports on St Patrick’s Street on September 2; shoplifting at Centra on North Main Street the following day and also on September 3; stealing €750 worth of items from Boots pharmacy in Merchants Quay; and handling €140 worth of stolen property from shops on September 4.

On various other dates between February and June, he had several more shoplifting charges.