A 25-year-old man from France who took part in a “sneaky kind of theft” in removing a woman’s purse from her bag while she was in a bar in Ballina appeared at Ballina District Court on Tuesday.
Garda Jude Gallagher outlined that on Monday, June 2 at 7.30pm a woman reported to gardaí that her wallet had been stolen from her handbag in Quattro Bar, Ballina.
CCTV footage by Gda Gallagher identified Mohamad Mouhoub, Number 3 Flat, The Mall, Roscrea, Tipperary as the person who put his hand in a bag (which was left on the ledge of a bar beside its owner ), while the owner was distracted.
After the defendant was arrested and interviewed he admitted stealing the purse and subsequent to his admission he returned the purse and the contents.
Solicitor for Mouhoub, John Gordon, explained that the defendant had spent the €40 which was in the wallet, but the amount was subsequently reimbursed by the defendant.
According to Mr Gordon the reasons for the defendant’s actions in what he described as “a sneaky kind of theft” were that he had lost his job in Ballina, had no money and was drunk when the theft took place.
The man is now employed as a chef in Tipperary and has no previous convictions in Ireland or France for theft. Judge Mary Devins applied the probation act and ordered that Mouhoub pay €200 to Hope House.
