A three month suspended sentence was imposed on a teenager who was found handling a stolen film camera and boom microphone valued at €5,000.
James Donovan, with an address at 40 Fana Glas, Ballybane, was summoned to appear at Galway District Court last Monday where he pleaded guilty to handling stolen property, namely a JVC film camera and boom microphone, at Arbitrage Films, Ballybrit Industrial Estate, on October 29, 2008.
Inspector Pat McHugh told the court that gardai had received information that Donovan had been seen putting the stolen JVC camara and boom microphone into a large black wheelie bin. He said that the property belonged to the Galway Film Centre and that it had been stolen from one of their vans earlier that day.
The defendant was later interviewed in relation to the incident and admitted he had been in possession of the items and paid €80 for them. Inspector McHugh said the real value is about €5,000 and that the items had been in good condition when recovered.
Defence solicitor Valerie Corcoran said that her client had been upset as his grandmother had been terminally ill. She said that Donovan, who had never been in court previously, admitted to putting the items in the bin at his friend’s house.
“He was aware the property was worth a lot more than €80,” said Judge Fahy, who convicted the defendant and imposed three months detention suspended for 12 months on condition that he enter a bond of €500 to be of good behaviour. She also fined him €600 with three months to pay.
