Man jailed for €26k burglary of family-run woollen mills in West Cork

The court was told the accused, who was jailed, was under pressure to pay a drugs debt

The court heard the crime was committed on August 10 last year at Quills Woollen Mills in Glengarriff. File picture: Ellie O'Byrne

A family-run business, Quills in Glengarriff, was significantly impacted by a burglary which saw €26,000 worth of stock being stolen and now one of those involved in the crime has been sentenced to two years and six months imprisonment.

48-year-old Anthony Curtis who was living at The Perrin Inn, Glengarriff, County Cork, was sentenced by Judge Helen Boyle at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to a sentence of three-and-a-half years with the last year suspended, backdated to August 14, 2025, when he went into custody.

Detective Sergeant Eoin Concannon said the crime was committed on August 10 last year at Quills Woollen Mills in Glengarriff.

€26,000 worth of items of clothing were stolen during the burglary — many of them items of high value. €16,000 worth of the property was recovered. However, it was damaged to such an extent that it was of little commercial value.

The burglary at Quills was one of two offences in quick succession from commercial premises in West Cork that day.

At Main Street, Innishannon, Anthony Curtis also carried out a burglary at Centra where he stole a case of Southern Comfort valued €264 as well as some toiletries. Det. Sgt Concannon said the defendant had 65 previous convictions, including 21 under Theft Act and 16 under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Paula McCarthy, defence barrister, said: “Drug treatment is something he needs in term of his rehabilitation. He is 48 years old and originally from the UK. He has been in custody since August 14, 2025.

“He made admissions in relation to both of these offences. He signed pleas of guilty and later affirmed these at the circuit court. He was in the throes of addiction at the time and was under significant financial pressure. He does have victim empathy and remorse.

“He had a chaotic upbringing but he does have a history of employment. He had been off drugs for a period but fell off the wagon around this time. He has been engaging with addiction services in prison and is on a methadone programme. The probation officer accepts he has a level of insight.” 

Sentencing

Judge Helen Boyle noted from a victim impact statement that the crime caused a significant financial loss for a family-run business which would have a significant impact on the business and staff. The judge said this had to be taken into consideration.

Another aggravating factor was the significant history of offending.

In mitigation, the judge said there was a signed plea of guilty which saved the victims having to come to court, he accepted responsibility, had a long history of alcohol and polysubstance abuse, heroin being his most significant drug in recent years, and that he was under pressure to pay a drugs debt.

Concluding, Judge Boyle said to the accused: “You have experienced periods of stability. I accept you had a chaotic and difficult upbringing. You are someone who has been capable of some educational achievement in the past. Probation deems you as of high risk of reoffending.”