A Limerick man with 93 previous convictions is to spend a further six months behind bars and was given a further nine-month suspended sentence for committing a number of burglaries including taking a laptop from behind the counter of a city centre clothes shop.
Dean Price (24 ) with an address at 7 Sean Heuston Park, Limerick, was brought before Galway District Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to two counts of trespassing with intent to commit theft at Myriam O’Reilly, Eyre Street, and at Bank of Ireland, Eyre Square, on April 4, 2012. He also pleaded guilty to trespassing with intent to commit theft at Forster Court Hotel, Forster Street, on October 8, 2012.
Inspector Ernie Whyte told the court that on October 8 at 2.30pm gardai in plain clothes followed the defendant down Forster Street and observed him entering the Forster Court Hotel. When they went into the hotel the garda officers found Price in a private area “crouching under a table”.
On April 4 at 4pm a staff member from Myriam O’Reilly reported that a laptop had been taken from behind the till. The defendant was seen holding the laptop before running away from the store. The laptop, which was worth €900 and had belonged to a staff member, was not recovered. Later that same day, at 3.15pm, a Bank of Ireland staff member reported that Price went into the private area of the bank and stole a purse containing bank cards and €20.
The inspector further explained that Price has 93 previous convictions including the latest for two counts of burglary for which he received a total of 16 months, a sentence he is now serving.
Defence solicitor Valerie Corcoran said that her client had been in Galway visiting cousins on October 8 and been under the influence of intoxicants. “He didn’t have any idea what he was doing,” said Ms Corcoran who added that Price has had a lot of difficulties since the age of 16. She explained that Price is now motivated to stay out of prison and asked Judge Fahy to take into account the fact that he is already serving a long sentence.
However, Judge Fahy pointed out that Price had taken a computer which could have held personal and important details and that in view of his previous conviction a sentence would be imposed. She convicted Price in relation to the laptop theft and sentenced him to serve six months on lawful termination of the sentence already being served. For the remaining offences Price was given a total of nine months which was then suspended on condition that he enter into a bond of €500 to be of good behaviour and stay away from Galway city and county. Leave to appeal was granted.
