OFFICE BURGLAR SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS IN PRISON

A WEXFORD town man who pleaded guilty to theft from an office has been handed a two-year prison sentence.

Wexford Circuit Court was told that Stephen Hall, whose address in court documents is given as 20 Lower George St., Flat 4, Wexford, stole a Meteor phone valued at €29, a wallet containing credit cards and a set of keys at 2 Peter Street, Wexford, on June 23, 2016.

In evidence, Sgt. Ray Heffernan said on that day Finbar Gahan entered his office and found a person on the premises. After the man had left the building, Mr Gahan noticed a set of keys were missing and he then made a complaint to gardaí.

Sgt. Heffernan said that at the time the defendant was in Wexford Garda Station in relation to another investigation, and that he fitted the description of the man given by Mr. Gahan. The defendant was detained and later admitted he was on the premises and pleaded guilty to burglary.

The garda sergeant told the court that none of the property had been recovered. He said that Hall is currently serving a sentence for burglary and has a number of previous convictions, including ten for burglary. A single man, aged 42, he was at the time of the offence living at 20 Lower Georges Street.

Dylan Redmond, for the Defence, told the court that when interviewed by gardai the defendant made a full admission and that he had co-operated with the investigation. He said the defendant has had a long and difficult heroin addiction.

Noting that Hall had 103 previous convictions, including ten for burglary, Judge Cormac Quinn handed down a two-year prison sentence.