An ex-taxi driver who stole a trailer from its owner’s driveway in the middle of the night was fined €750 at Galway District Court last Monday.
Alan Keane (28 ) with an address given as Larchill, Loughrea, was brought before Judge Mary Fahy and pleaded guilty to stealing a trailer worth €800, the property of John Donovan, at 54 Beal Srutha, Ballybane, on July 2, 2008.
Inspector Pat McHugh told the court that at 1.10am gardai on patrol in the Castlepark area noticed a silver Skoda with a trailer driving at speed. They followed it but lost it. He said that Mr Donovan had been woken up by a sound in his driveway and when he looked out he saw a car turning into the driveway and taking the trailer which had been up for sale. He then informed gardai who were then able to determine the direction Keane had taken. They found the defendant’s car with the trailer parked further down the road.
When initially questioned Keane denied having anything to do with the theft of the trailer. However, he later voluntarily went to the station and made a statement saying he had taken the trailer. The court heard how the defendant had been disqualified for two years in December 2002 for drink driving.
Defence solictor Ian Foley said that his client, who is now unemployed and has two children, admits that what he did was very foolish. The defendant said that he was due to start a job driving a truck next week. Judge Fahy informed him that because he used his car in the course of a crime she could have disqualified him.
The court heard that at the time of the offence Keane had been working as a taxi driver but he had only lasted a few days in the job. The defendant said that he still had his taxi licence.
“I tried but it just doesn’t suit me,” said Keane.
“You have to work at it,” replied Judge Fahy who then convicted and fined him €750 with two months to pay. “Sounds to be he was scouting for whatever he could find that wasn’t nailed down,” she said.
