Man who duped shop worker was a ‘very convincing thief’
A COUNTY Mayo con man who duped a shop worker into paying €140 for cigarette lighters that were never requested, was described as a “very convincing thief” at Sligo District Court.
Michael Ward, 31 Meadow Court, Elm Park, Claremorris, pleaded guilty to a charge that on February 13, 2016, at Polska Strefa, Quay Street, Sligo, he by deception induced Agnieszka Rogalska to pay €140 for cigarette lighters that were never requested.
Sergeant Derek Butler said an employee in the shop had been duped in relation to cigarette lighters. The well-dressed defendant came into the shop and pretended to be on the phone to the shop owner. He pretended that the owner was agreeing to pay cash on delivery for the lighters.
Defence solicitor Gerry McGovern said the case went back to 2016 and the defendant had been out of the jurisdiction for a while. He had gone back to the shop, but it was under new ownership. The defendant had admitted his guilt.
The lighters had been sold off.
The court was told that Ward had 33 previous convictions including a suspended jail sentence for theft/ deception.
Mr McGovern said he was in a company that was selling items all over the country, but it had got into difficulties and the separated father of three who had come back from England was not working. Mr McGovern asked the court to take into account that this matter went back to 2016.
The defendant had gone back to pay the money back six months ago, but the business had been sold on. The defendant was quite a bright man and well educated.
“It takes a lot of brass neck to walk into a place well dressed, looking the part and pretend to be on the phone to the boss of the shop,” said Judge Kevin Kilrane.
The judge said Ward would have looked the height of respectability with his notebook and invoices.
“It is no wonder that the lady was duped. He was a very convincing thief in this regard.”
Mr McGovern said the defendant’s phone number was on the invoice. The judge said the plea carried a very significant amount of weight in this case.
He said he would leave the defendant with no conviction if he came up with €200 for charity.
The offence was over five years ago, and a prosecution would have been very difficult without the defendant’s co-operation.
The judge applied the Probation Act after Ward came up with the cash which was to go to Sligo SVP.