Jailed for a year for stealing stove

A 23-year-old man who stole a pot belly stove from an unoccupied house was jailed for a year by Judge Keenan Johnson at Sligo Circuit Court.

The Judge said it was a nasty type of offence which was far too prevalent in rural Ireland.

“It’s a sad state of affairs that people cannot leave their property without it being interfered with,” said the Judge after jailing Charlie Andrews of Rathbraughan Line for three years with two years of that term suspended for five years.

Andrews is already serving an 18 month term imposed at the end of July for an arson attack at 4 Elm Gardens, Ballytivnan on October 13th 2015.

Judge Johnson said Andrews should be given credit for the time he has already served in prison.

Andrews also entered a bond to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for five years on his release.

The Judge commended the Gardaí for apprehending Andrews in a car soon after the burglary.

The stove was in the back seat and Andrews claimed he had found it at the side of the road.

Andrews, who has 21 previous convictions dating from 2009 to 2016, was doing well in prison according to defence barrister, Mr Peter Daly with Ms Laura Spellman, solicitor.

The burglary of the pot belly stove worth €175 took place at The Cottage, Rathbraughan Line on July 5 th 2015.

The house was unoccupied but the owner, John Elliot, lived nearby, the court was told.

Ms Dara Foynes BL (prosecuting) with State Solicitor Mr Hugh Sheridan, said Mr Elliot had arrived back to his home with his wife around 2am and noticed that his dog was agitated and began barking.

Mr Elliot went to his front door and he heard a cracking sound coming from The Cottage next door.

He rang the Gardaí and gave them a description of a Nissan car that came up the driveway and turned.

The Elliots also drove after the car and saw it outside a neighbour’s house.

Mr Elliot subsequently got a call from Gardaí to say that they had stopped a car.

Garda Terry Farrelly, who was on a routine crime prevention patrol, stopped the car and discovered the stove in the rear seat.

Other implements were found in the vehicle also.

Mr Daly pleaded that the defendant lived in the open part of Castlerea Prison called the Grove which was for trusted prisoners and which was also a drug free facility.

The burglary, said Mr Daly, was committed in the middle of the defendant’s addiction to drugs and alcohol.

The defendant was now drug free.

He was now also attending drug counselling and school three times a week.

He also worked three days a week in the prison kitchen.

Judge Johnson said the offence of arson and this burglary charge were both in a different league to the previous convictions which were mainly for road traffic matters.

The Judge imposed a suspended jail term.