Guitar returned to owner three years after theft

Guitarists have a special affection for their instruments. BB King had Lucelle, Eric Clapton named his guitar Blackie. So local musician Conal McIntyre was thrilled when his 1973 Fender Telecaster was returned to him three years after it was stolen.

Fate played a large part in the electric guitar being returned to him,

The guitar, valued at more than €3,000, had been included in the first ever display of stolen goods event at Drogheda Garda Station last Thursday,

Crime Prevention Officer Vincent Jackson explained that he got chatting to a visitor to the display who informed him that the guitar was quite a valuable instrument.

‘I don’t know much about guitars so I asked him where I could get some more information and he suggested I get in touch with a music shop.’

He then contacted Conor Hughes’ Beat It music shop in Blackrock.

He got talking to Andrew Grifton who just ten minutes earlier had been speaking to Conal McIntyre, a regular customer, who had gone into the shop to look at a guitar which they were selling.

‘We have a fender telecaster for sale which was similar to the one which was stolen from him three years ago and a friend had told him to come in and have a look.’

‘He looked at but it wasn’t his and he asked me to keep an eye out in case his ever came in and while I said I would, I really didn’t think there was much chance of that happening.’

Ten minutes later, he got a phone call from Sgt Jackson asking for information about a 1973 Fender Telecaster.

‘As he described it, I realised that it probably belonged to Conal as it was a rare colour and had a rosewood fretboard which was only made in 1973.’

Further proof that it was indeed Conal’s guitar emerged when paper with songs he had written was found in the guitar case.

‘It was really amazing that the phonecall came in just ten minutes after he had been in the shop - it was totally random,’ said Andrew.

Sgt Jackson said that the owner was thrilled to get the guitar back in the case with the songs he had written.

He advised people to mark their property and take photographs of valuable items so that they have a picture if the goods are ever stolen.

‘When you see how much stuff is here it emphasises the point that people should have some identification on their property to help us get it back to them, that’s what we ultimately want to do,’ he said. ‘We would urge people to mark their property and to take pictures of things like jewellery so that they have a record of it. ‘

He said Gardaí would also encourage people to have a small safe in their home to keep valuable documents like passports and birth certificates in.

‘Sometimes people don’t remember everything that’s taken in a burglary and then over time they realise it’s gone. It could be something like a valuable document, like a passport.