Get-out-of-jail pass offered to serial thief with 101 convictions

A SERIAL phone thief who has racked up more than 100 convictions even though he is only 25 has been given the chance to avoid jail.

Gary Moles was told by Judge Anthony Halpin he could avoid a custodial sentence by coming up with compensation for his three latest victims.

Moles cycled around Dublin snatching mobile phones from women on dates this February, March and April, Dublin District Court heard.

The father of two, from Tulip Court, Darndale, Dublin, pleaded guilty yesterday to the phone thefts at Dorset Street, Nearney’s Court and Parnell Square East in north Dublin.

He was told by the judge that given the nature of the crime, he faces prison unless he can compensate his victims. The court heard Moles, who has 101 prior criminal convictions, snatched smartphones worth about €1,600 in total from three women’s hands and cycled off with them.

Judge Anthony Halpin described his actions as ‘a pretty nasty crime’.

He added: ‘He has 101 previous, when does the penny drop?’

His prior offences included theft, drugs and motoring offences.

Judge Halpin asked for a pre-sentence report on Moles to be prepared by the Probation Service.

Moles was granted legal aid and was remanded on bail to appear again in four weeks.

GARY Moles is just 25 years old – yet he already has 101 criminal convictions. Now this serial thief has admitted to mugging three women for their mobile phones.

Extraordinarily, however, Moles is not automatically being sent to prison: he is being offered the chance to avoid jail if he can come up with compensation.

This effectively suggests that a criminal can buy his way out of a jail term. Such a suggestion is wrong: anyone with 101 prior convictions caught stealing again should simply be going straight to prison – for a long time.