Man admits the theft of an old tractor from land
A man who admitted the theft of an old tractor told Sligo District Court he was embarrassed to be before the court charged and that he should have made enquiries before attempting to take the vehicle away.
Before the court was Neville Cornwall (50), 3 Riverview Apartments, Quarrylane, Boyle who admitted a charge of theft on March 22nd 2017 at Rathina, Lisserlough.
Inspector Donal Sweeney outlined how Gardaí were on patrol and saw two men on lands at a tractor attempting to change its tyres.
The defendant stated that he was taking the tractor and that it had been willed to him.
It transpired the men were in the process of stealing the tractor which was a Ferguson 20 and fairly old, added the Inspector.
The victim was not in court and was fairly elderly. The defendant would have done work for the original owner and had been a neighbour of his.
Mr Gerard McGovern, solicitor (defending) said the tractor could not be moved and needed work. It wasn’t the defendant’s property and he had no right to try to take it even if it was abandoned.The defendant intended doing it up and was goind to ask the person who inherited it and the land but hadn’t done so.
He did after the Gardaí became involved but he wasn’t interested.
Cornwall agreed with Mr McGovern that he was very embarrassed to be before the court.
He admitted what he did was wrong.
He was a neighbour of the late Kevin McLoughlin who owned the land and tractor originally and often did work for him, he said.
He went to the inheritor of the property after the Gardai were called and he asked him, Thomas McLoughlin if he could buy it then.
“I went about it all the wrong way,” said the defendant.
Judge Kevin Kilrane said that the defendant realised that on reflection he could not do anything like this.
He applied the Probation Act.