Cork man who stole tequila and food from Aldi jailed for six months

Youghal District Court heard that the accused had pleaded guilty and was attending HSE services and counselling to address his chronic alcohol addiction

The defendant stole a bottle of tequila from the Aldi supermarket, then on the same day he returned and stole another bottle of tequila and some ready-to-eat wraps. File picture

A Cork man who admitted stealing two bottles of tequila and some food from an Aldi supermarket has been sentenced to a total of six months in prison in the district court.

Court presenter, Inspector Michael Hogan, told Youghal District Court that the accused man, David Austin, aged 40 of Dominic Collins Place, Youghal, Co Cork, committed the offences at Aldi in Youghal on April 29, 2025. 

The court heard that Mr Austin first entered the store and stole a bottle of tequila valued at €17.99. Later on the same day he returned and stole another bottle of tequila and some ready-to-eat wraps with a total value of €64. 

The court was told that Mr Austin was identified on CCTV footage and was told that he had 34 previous convictions.

Defence barrister, William Bulman, said that Mr Austin had pleaded guilty and was attending HSE services and counselling to address his chronic alcohol addiction.

Judge Brian O’Shea said that Mr Austin seemed to regularly fall back into the habit of drinking and stealing while drunk and it was worrying that he went back and stole from the same shop twice in one day.

Judge O’Shea said: “It’s starting to look really doubtful this man is capable of rehabilitating himself.” 

The judge added that he also had a duty to businesses in the town to show that theft were being dealt with seriously. He said: “I’m not a social worker and I will have to start thinking about a deterrent.”

Mr Austin was sentenced to three months on each of the two theft charges with the sentences to run consecutively. Recognisance for appeal was fixed at €200.

• This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme