A teenager who received an extra three months in jail for burglaries in Renmore also admitted to targeting a number of cars around the city and county during at least two months last year.
Mark Scott (19 ) with an address at Tully, Ballygar, Galway, appeared at Galway District Court last week where he pleaded guilty to burglaries at 54 and 60 Murrough Drive, Renmore, and to the damage of a car window at Gleann Na Ri, Merlin Park, on November 16, 2007.
Scott was also charged with the damage of a car window and the theft of a car stereo and computer equipment valued €1,200 at the Claddagh on dates between September 8, 2007 and November 9, 2007; the damage of the doors belonging to two cars and of two car stereos worth a total of €1,250 at the Claddagh on dates between October 21 and 25, 2007; the damage of a car window and the theft of a mobile phone valued €100 at the car park in Upper Salthill on dates between November 19, 2007 and November 20, 2007; and the damage of a car window and theft of an I-pod valued €200 at the aquarium in Salthill on November 22, 2007.
Co-defendant Patrick Fogarty (22 ) with an address at Ballagh, Menlough, Ballinasloe, who also pleaded guilty to the two burglaries at 54 and 60 Murrough Drive, Renmore, on November 16, 2007, was given a chance to escape jail if he came up with “significant” compensation by the time the case resumes next March.
Regarding the burglaries on November 16 Inspector Pat McHugh said that Scott’s sister had been living in one of the houses and that the two defendants had been invited to a party. When everyone went to bed the two young men returned in the early hours and stole items including an XBox 360, a laptop, and a digital camera. Gardaí carried out a search in Ballinasloe and the laptop, along with three games, was found in Fogarty’s house.
In the case of Scott Inspector McHugh told the court that while in detention he had admitted targeting cars in the city and county and that up to 20 cars had been broken into. The inspector said that some of the car doors had been pulled out and damaged which “puts a lot of cost on the injured party”.
Scott’s solicitor said that his client has been serving a 21 month sentence since October for similar offences and that he had been very forthright with gardaí, describing in great detail what he stole. He added that Scott had been a third year carpenter but was laid off and getting less than €100 a week on social welfare at the time.
“That’s no excuse. He can get work doing something else,” replied Judge Fahy who then imposed an extra three months to be served on termination of the sentence already being served.
Fogarty’s solicitor Olivia Traynor said that her client did not enter the house but had “kept look out”. She said that the defendant, a trained roofer, had been in a relationship in Dublin and had two children. However this relationship broke up and he is now living at home with his parents.
Judge Fahy said that there may be a chance of Fogarty receiving a suspended sentence if he was able to come up with a significant amount of compensation. She adjourned the case until March 2, 2009, and imposed strict conditions.
