Man (78) pleaded guilty to theft of a consaw from local firm

A 78 year old man pleaded guilty to theft of a consaw valued at almost €1,000 from a Drogheda firm, after obtaining the goods by deception, Dundalk District Court heard last week.

The court heard that James McMulkin, with an address at Ballina, Co. Mayo, had gone into Drogheda Hire company in December 2014, and sought to buy a consaw.

He claimed to have left his credit card at home, but was able to provide the details, incluiding the three digit security code by phoning him to obtain them. He also gave a false address.

After suspiciosn arose about the transaction it was reported to gardai, and CCTV images obtained.

The court heard that the credit card had belonged to a UK national who did not give permission for it to be used.

Mr. McMulkin was interviewed at Drogheda Garda station, where he claimed he was acting on behalf of someone else and was ‘ roped into it like a clown.’

He claimed to have delivered the consaw to an individual in Finglas, and was paid €60.

The court heard he had 61 previous convictions, over 50 of them handed down by a court in Northern Ireland, and all similar in nature to that which was before the court.

Defence counsel Roddy O’Hanlon told the court that the accused previously had a long work history as a digger driver before he had a work place accident injury which resulted in a metal bar going through his head. He said his client may have suffered from frontal lobe syndrome as a result. He had lost vision in one eye.

He also suffers from depression and suicidal ideation.

Judge Martina Baxter remarked that the offences all seemed to have happened while the accused was in his 70s.

She put sentencing back to the January sitting of the court, asking that an updated psychiatric report be carried out, and made available to the Probation services.

She added that if he came to the attention of gardai before then he would be brought straight back to the court.