Gardai are “reasonably confident” the break-ins into the St Vincent de Paul shops in Athlone and Mullingar on consecutive nights this week are a coincidence, but “are continuing to examine the circumstances behind the raids”, and are seeking witnesses to both crimes.
Due to security policies, no more than €100 was taken from between the two charity shops; however, the Athlone raid on September 17 was a smash-and-grab, while the Mullingar break-in (between 6pm and 8am on September 18-19 ) involved the use of a ladder to remove a double glazed window frame from the first floor.
There was some damage done to internal doors and filing cabinets in the Mullingar branch, while in Athlone the front door was forced, and its cash register was vandalised beyond repair.
“It could’ve been a lot worse, but that’s the way things are now,” said a spokesperson for the charity.
The break-in in Athlone occurred between midnight and 3am on Monday morning and gardaí are continuing to seek any witnesses who may have seen anything suspicious in the vicinity during these hours.
Also, it seems the perpetrator made their escape through the new car park opposite, and the vandalised cash register was found near some sheds off Parnell Square.
“The alarm went off so they must’ve grabbed it [the cash register] and ran. The glass [in the front door] was broken, but the lock was intact, so they must’ve kept at it,” said a spokesperson.
Unfortunately, the register, though empty of cash, was closed and it is believed this is what prompted the thief or thieves to take it.
“We believe if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t’ve been touched. And we only replaced the glass in the other door two weeks ago,” lamented the spokesperson at the O’Connell Street branch.
“They made scutter of it, and nothing in it. It’s written off. It was just a smash and grab, they couldn’t get upstairs.We’ve learnt our lesson to leave the till open. We can’t even claim it on the insurance because of the first €300 [excess] but we have a replacement,” he continued.
