Kerry man with 609 convictions racks up several more after shoplifting spree in Cork City

Court hears defendant has crippling addiction to alcohol

Accused stole a bottle of wine priced €50 from Brown Thomas in Cork and was found in a drunken condition drinking from that bottle, court heard.

Six hundred and nine criminal convictions have been clocked up by a 55-year-old man from Killarney, and now he has been given another batch for a litany of offences in Cork, including stealing kegs of beer and cider and bottles of Prosecco.

The number of convictions for Richard O’Brien, of no fixed address, who is from Killarney, Co Kerry, as of now stands at 624 counts.

Stephen Cotter, solicitor, said of the 55-year-old: “He has a crippling addiction to alcohol. Obviously, when someone comes before the court with over 600 convictions it paints a picture. Although there is a pattern of offending we should not write him off.” 

Judge David Waters said he knew Mr O’Brien from the period when he was district court judge in Kerry and remarked the overwhelming majority of the defendant’s convictions were for being drunk and a source of danger. The judge said the difficulty now faced by the accused was the four theft convictions, to which he pleaded guilty.

Mr O’Brien is a big man, and the judge commented while he was not a violent man, he may well be intimidating particularly for young female staff when he takes something from a shop.

He was drunk and a danger on June 22 on St Patrick’s Street, on June 23 on Oliver Plunkett Street, on June 24 on Grand Parade, and again on June 30 on Oliver Plunkett Street.

On July 1, he stole two bottles of Prosecco from The Offie on Douglas Street, Cork, and was found drunk and a danger on Langford Row on the same day. 

The following day, he was drunk and a danger on Washington Street. Also on July 2, he stole a keg of cider from outside An Bróg on Oliver Plunkett Street. On July 11, he stole a keg of beer from outside The Thomand Bar on Marlboro Street, Cork.

On July 18, he was drunk and a danger on Grand Parade. On July 15, he was drunk and a danger and engaged in threatening behaviour in Bishop Lucey Park, where he was shouting at passers-by where families were present. 

On September 8 he was drunk and a danger on Grand Parade. Most recently, he stole a bottle of wine priced €50 from Brown Thomas in Cork on September 15 and was found in a drunken condition drinking from that bottle.

In earlier cases, it was stated on the defendant’s behalf his alcohol addiction stemmed from a lifelong inability to cope with a traffic accident which saw six members of his family killed when he was a young man.