A MAN who stole beer kegs from two pubs in Clonakilty has been sentenced to six months in prison.
BY DAVID FORSYTHE
Paddy Foran, 48, with an address at East Wall, Dublin pleaded not guilty to two charges of stealing from Shanley’s Bar and De Barra’s Folk Club in Clonakilty but admitted a third charge that he stole from Dunnes Stores in Clonakilty.
Court presenter Inspector Roisín O’Dea told the court it was alleged that Mr Foran had stolen several kegs of beer from the two premises on the morning of January 4th, 2023 shortly after they had been delivered.
Giving evidence, Emer Shanley told the court that on the morning of January 4th, 2023 a delivery of four kegs of Guinness was made to the rear of Shanley’s Bar at about 6.30am.
When staff went to bring the kegs into the premises later that morning, the goods valued at nearly €650 were not there.
Ray Blackwell from the nearby De Barra’s Folk Club told the court he had ordered five 50-litre kegs of Guinness and three 30-litre kegs of Carlsberg that were also due to be delivered that morning.
He said that because it was the Christmas period and delivery schedules were slightly altered he did not become aware that the goods were missing for two days.
Mr Blackwell said that the missing kegs would cost in excess of €1,300 and when he realised they had been delivered but could not be accounted for, he contacted the gardaí.
Garda Denis Kerrisk told the court that he was made aware of the alleged thefts when he was dealing with another incident in which Paddy Foran had admitted to stealing groceries from Dunnes Stores in Clonakilty on December 24th, 2024.
He said that he investigated the matter and recovered CCTV footage of a white Ford Transit van arriving at both premises after the kegs had been delivered and an individual loading them into the back of the van.
Gda Kerrisk said that markings on the van matched those of one belonging to Mr Foran.
Gda Kerrisk added that social media posts showed Mr Foran in the driver’s seat of the van and he was identifiable by a distinctive tattoo on his arm though he admitted under cross examination that he could not see Mr Foran’s face in CCTV footage.
Defence solicitor Eamonn Fleming said there was no evidence placing Mr Foran at the scene when the kegs were allegedly stolen.
It was his submission that Mr Foran could not be identified in the footage and he asked Judge Marie Keane for direction on the matter.
Judge Keane said she did not accept that Mr Foran could not be identified.
She said that the evidence was circumstantial, but clear.
Mr Foran had 32 previous convictions including seven for theft as well as convictions for possession of stolen goods and unauthorised possession of a firearm, the most recent of which was recorded in 2017.
Mr Fleming said Mr Foran lived in temporary accommodation in Dublin and was on the waiting list for corporation housing.
He said that in relation to the theft from Dunnes Stores, Mr Foran had brought €300 in compensation to court.
He said that Mr Foran was ‘effectively homeless’ and asked the judge to consider a non-custodial sentence.
Judge Keane said that Mr Foran’s actions were premeditated and he had brought no compensation to court for the injured parties.
She said his behaviour was ‘appalling’ and noted that the goods were not recovered.
She said she was in no doubt that the stolen kegs had been sold but the profits did not go to their owners.
For each theft she convicted Paddy Foran to three months in prison with the sentences to run consecutively.
The theft from Dunnes Stores was taken into consideration.
Recognisance in the event of an appeal was fixed at €100 on his own bond for each charge.
