'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.