List of offences results in two years in prison

A STRING of charges ranging from arson to theft and road traffic offences resulted in a total of two years in prison being handed to a New Ross man at the District Court.

Bernard Stapleton with addresses listed at Apartment 3 Priory Street, Unit 3 46 South Street and Flat 2 South Street, faced a long litany of charges dating from April of 2017 to January of this year.

Jurisdiction was refused on a charge of assault causing harm at 27 Forest Park, Courtown, on April 23 of last year. The case was adjourned to September 26 for the state to prepare a book of evidence.

Some of the more significant charges related to the theft of a motorbike and arson at the Dunbrody carpark on November 13, 2016. The court heard that on the night in question, Stapleton stole the bike and brought it to a shed where he attempted to hot-wire it. When he was unsuccessful, he brought it to the carpark where he set it ablaze.

He was also charged with the attempted theft of jewellery worth €1,500 from the lobby of the Talbot Hotel in Wexford. On the night in question, Stapleton booked into the hotel. In the early hours of the morning, he placed a beermat over a security camera and broke into the jewellery cabinet. He was eventually disturbed by the night porter on duty.

On August 19, 2017, he was found in possession of a night-vision telescope and three screwdrivers while dressed all in dark clothing with no explanation, while on June 17 of last year he was charged with drink driving, dangerous driving and driving without a licence and insurance at South Street, New Ross.

The court heard he had been stopped after he drove the wrong way down a one-way street and subsequently returned a breath reading of 64/100.

Apart from that he faced several counts of criminal damage, further theft charges relating to a pair of sunglasses and a bottle of Jameson and possession of an 8 inch kitchen knife.

Judge Miriam Walsh imposed a four-year driving ban and a five-month prison sentence on the no insurance charge from June 17 of last year. This sentence was back dated to when Stapleton entered custody on January 24.

Judge Walsh then handed down a number of other custodial sentences, all to run consecutively.

Stapleton received three months each for criminal damage on October 22 and August 19.

For possessing the night-vision goggles and screwdrivers, he was given a further three months along with another three months on a criminal damage charge from November 13.

On the dangerous driving charge from June 17 of last year he received a two-year driving ban and a two-month prison term along with a further twoyear ban and a further month in prison for drink driving on the same date.

He also received a further one-year ban and three months in prison for the unauthorised taking of the motorcycle on November 13, 2016.

Other charges, including the theft from the Talbot Hotel, were taken into consideration, but in total Stapleton received 24 months in prison, back dated to when he first entered custody in January.