A person with 189 earlier convictions has been jailed for thefts in Donegal.
Joe McDonagh stole purses from accommodations in Donegal City and Ballyshannon on the identical day whereas he additionally made off with priceless clothes from McElhinney’s in Ballybofey with out paying.
McDonagh, a 38-year-old whose deal with was given as Castlerea Jail, County Roscommon, was introduced earlier than Ballyshannon District Courtroom on Friday.
McDonagh is at the moment serving a sentence and he informed Decide Monika Leech that he feels he’s ‘higher off’ when behind bars.
Inspector Rosaleen Logue informed the courtroom that McDonagh entered the Abbey Lodge in Donegal City on February 16, 2024 and stole a handbag containing a Publish Workplace card, a Revolut card and 300 in money.
McDonagh then took a taxi to Ballyshannon and used the Publish Workplace card to pay 40. In Ballyshannon, McDonagh used the identical card for 2 transactions, of fifty and 29.
He subsequently tried to make use of the Revolut card, but it surely declined.
On the identical day, McDonagh entered Dorrian’s Lodge and stole one other purse. Whereas in Dorrian’s Lodge, McDonagh discarded the opposite purse in a cistern within the male bathrooms.
He disposed of the second stolen purse in a cistern at Ballyshannon Bus Station and retained a debit card and bank card.
McDonagh tried to make use of one of many playing cards at Slevin’s Division Retailer, however the card declined.
The courtroom heard that McDonagh has 176 earlier convictions within the Republic of Eire and 13 convictions from different jurisdictions.
Over 50 of McDonagh’s earlier convictions are for theft-related offences, the courtroom was informed.
Mr Frank Murphy, representing McDonagh, stated his consumer has an dependancy to each whiskey and cocaine.
“He has but to beat these addictions and may solely overcome them when he’s in jail,” Mr Murphy stated. “He fuels the dependancy by taking purses and belongings from others.”
McDonagh interjected and informed Decide Leech: “I’m higher off in jail.”
Decide Leech stated she would take care of the matter by means of a worldwide sentence because the offences had been dedicated inside a brief house of time on the identical day.
Decide Leech imposed a sentence of three months in jail on McDonagh.
McDonagh additionally appeared at Letterkenny District Courtroom earlier than Decide Ciaran Liddy on Thursday.
There, he confronted a cost of stealing €159.93 value of garments from McElhinney’s in Ballybofey on March 15, 2024.
Sergeant Jim Collins informed the courtroom that McDonagh handed all factors of fee and left the shop.
Detectives caught up with McDonagh and the products had been returned and resalable. The accused made a full admission and was co-operative with gardai.
Mr Rory O’Brien stated McDonagh has struggled with ‘numerous addictions’. “He is aware of himself it’s fallacious, however he does it to feed the behavior,” Mr O’Brien stated. “He’s approaching 40 and he nonetheless has time to exhibit to the courtroom and to society that he can change.”
Decide Liddy imposed a sentence of one-month imprisonment, backdated to when McDonagh went into custody.
Man with 189 convictions tells Decide he’s higher off in jail was final modified: April sixth, 2024 by
