Judge laments rise in the theft of expensive phones
A Judge has said the theft of mobile phones was becoming a major nuisance.
Judge Kevin Kilrane made the remarks at Sligo District Court when dealing with a man who stole a phone in a local pub after it was left on a table by the owner.
She got it back rather fortuitously when she rang the phone just as Gardai had stopped and searched Jamie Kilgannon ( 29) at Hyde Bridge at 1.50am on August 7th and the Garda answered it. Kilgannon had two phones and told Gardaí one of them belonged to a friend and the other was his.
A € 20 deal of cocaine was also found on Kilgannon of 44 St Edward’s Terrace who stole the HTC phone worth € 160 earlier in the night at the Garavogue Bar. He had taken it off a table and put it in his pocket and CCTV confirmed this, said Inspector Donal Sweeney.
Mr Gerard McGovern, solicitor ( defending) said the defendant had got away from the court system in recent times. He had a problem with alcohol previously which he had got under control but now seemed to be dabbling in cocaine which was a step back.
Mr McGovern said the phone theft was a nasty offence but he hadn’t got involved in this type of offence before.
“He’s not a man who goes around and steals or breaks into houses,” pleaded Mr McGovern.
Judge Kilrane said phone theft was a major nuisance, being converted into cash very easily.
“Very expensive phones were owned by virtually everyone nowadays but myself. I have a phone that’s about 20 years old and you would hold a collection if you saw the one I have, no one would steal it,” he said adding that phone theft had become a “cottage industry.”
He viewed it as a very serious offence. Mobile phones held data and records.
He said when people went out to socialise in a pub they relaxed and let their guard down and this was being taken advantage of.
He imposed a sentence of four months on Kilgannon, suspended for three years.
He was fined € 100 for the cocaine possession charge.