Heroin addict stole €1,200 drone and sold it for €50

A heroin addict who came to Sligo to ‘get clean’ stole a drone worth €1,200 from a car, a District Court has heard.

Graham Dowling, formerly of 5, Buttermarket Apartment, Sligo, and currently residing at a homeless hostel in Cork, pleaded guilty to the theft of a DJI Mavic Air Drone.

The court heard that on August 27 th 2018, the theft of a drone from a car in Wine Street car park was reported to gardaí, along with its controller and batteries, belonging to Micheal Preston.

The 27-year-old was subsequently identified as a suspect and the drone controller was found at his apartment. Gardaí were told he had sold the drone for €50.

It was heard that on September 4 th Dowling appeared in court charged with the theft and following this he ‘went crazy on drink’ and was intoxicated and begging on Grattan Street. He was falling in front of pedestrians and his voice was raised. When asked for his details, he said his name was Michael O’Sullivan.

Commenting on the matters, Judge Kevin Kilrane said it was ‘very worrying’ that the Cork man appeared in court on the day and then proceeded to behave like this.

Dowling said he had been addicted to heroin, tablets and ‘everything’ and is now on Methadone.

Sergeant Derek Butler highlighted that Dowling had previously given an undertaking to pay the money back for the drone by last Christmas.

Dowling’s mother told the court that her son had paid off his drug debts and could now start putting money aside for compensation.

Judge Kilrane put the matter back to May 2nd for a probation report. He is required to sign on at his local garda station three times per week and to continue addiction counselling.