A Limerick man, with 89 previous convictions, is to serve a further five months in jail and was given another eight months suspended for committing a number of burglaries during a 36-hour spree in Galway city.
Timmy Casey (36 ) with an address at Bay 10, Clonlong, Southhill, Limerick, was brought before Judge Mary Fahy at Galway District Court on Monday where he entered a plea of guilty to a number of burglaries.
Inspector Sean Glynn said that on July 7, 2012, the defendant was in Newsweek newsagents in Westside Shopping Centre when he made his way into an area which was prohibited to the public. He was then seen emerging from this staff area holding a carton of cigarettes valued at €200. When the owner confronted him an altercation ensued with a number of items in the shop broken, causing €64 worth of damage. He was later arrested. Earlier that same day Casey was at O’Connor’s Centra in Salthill when he gained access to a staff area and took a bottle of champagne. He also went to Rabbittes XL Shop in Lower Salthill where he reached over the counter and tried to take cash from the till. The court then heard that the burglary spree continued with Casey going into Dorothy Perkins at Galway Shopping Centre and entered a staff only area where he attempted to steal personal items but was disturbed by a member of staff.
On July 10 Casey entered Anthony Ryan’s in Shop Street at 6.25pm and when the staff were not watching he went in behind the till area and started pulling out the cash register. Inspector Glynn said that Casey was trying to open the register and “shaking” it so much that he cut his hand. The incident was captured on CCTV.
Inspector Glynn then said that Casey had 89 previous convictions including sentences for criminal damage, a number of burglaries, and a three-year sentence in 2010 for robbery. He is currently serving a 10-month prison sentence for burglary which was imposed in September this year.
Defence solicitor Olivia Traynor said that the events had taken place during “a 36 hour spree”. She said that her client, a father of two, has been in and out of prison since he was very young and that when arrested for these offences he “held his hands up”.
Taking into account the guilty plea Judge Fahy imposed a total of five months in jail to be served on lawful termination of the sentence currently being served and also imposed another eight-month sentence suspended for three years on condition that he enter into a bond of €500 to be of good behaviour and stay away from Galway city and county.
