Defendant shows ‘contempt’ for court and victim

A MAN who stole €2,000 worth of jewellery and a bank-card and cash from his former partner to pay gambling debts was criticised for showing ‘contempt’ for the victim and for the court system.

Stoyan Sundev, with an address at the time of the incident at 57A Meadowbrook, Mill Road, Corbally, Limerick, appeared last week at Cahersiveen District Court, sitting in Tralee, to finalise the case, almost six years after the incident first occurred.

In the interim, the court heard that Mr Sundev has not paid any compensation to the victim though he had been directed to do so by the Judge at that time.

The court heard that he has returned home for a period of time and was only back in Ireland in the past eight months.

The court heard that the case has been in court since May 2015 and has been listed 16 times since then.

Sgt Miriam Mulhall Nolan told the court that Mr Sundev had stolen an ATM card and used it, stealing €550 worth of cash. He was also charged with stealing jewellery valued at €2,000.

Mr Sundey was charged with three separate theft charges in relation to the incident – all of which occurred in Tralee on November 13, 2014. The items were stolen from 311 Parklands Apartments, while the cash was stolen from AIB Castle Street.

After it emerged that Mr Sundev has paid no compensation and had failed to turn up to court, Judge David Waters said he had “treated the whole system with contempt”.

“He hasn’t made any effort in five years to pay the injured party,” he added.

Defence solicitor Brendan Ahern said it might be a bit late, but his client could come up with compensation now and had €300 in court to hand over to the injured party. He said Mr Sundey has returned home for three years to care for a sick relative, and had returned eight months ago and was now working in a meat factory.

“If he had come here today and said he had made an attempt, I would have treated him differently,” said Judge Waters.

Mr Ahern said his client had gambling problems and owed money. Demands were being made on him to pay this back at the time. He said that Mr Sundev was living in the apartment and was in a relationship with the victim.

“He showed disregard for the victim and the court system,” said Judge Waters, adding that, because of this, he would give him a custodial sentence but suspend it given that he has no previous convictions.

He handed down a four-month sentence, suspended for two years on the jewellery theft.