A man was put up to thefts from a city shop because he had gambling debts, his solicitor told Galway District Court.
The man, originally from Algeria, is three years in Ireland but is currently in prison serving a seven-month sentence. Annius Tallette, formerly of Great Western Hostel, Galway, pleaded guilty to two theft charges which brings his conviction total to 12, mainly for thefts.
His solicitor Sean Acton pleaded that his client was finding prison very difficult as he was a foreigner and did not know anyone in there.
He said Tallette was put up to these latest thefts by those he owed gambling debts to. He admitted his client drank to excess on occasion.
Judge Valerie Corcoran heard at Galway District Court that the defendant entered the Portwest outdoor shop on High Street on two occasions, January 9 and January 16 with a backpack. On both occasions he entered the changing room and removed security tags from two jackets and left without paying. The jackets valued at €340 each were not recovered. He was identified by CCTV.
The Court heard the defendant had ten previous convictions before this. On February 26 last he received a four-month sentence for theft at Ennis District Court and had another theft charge taken into consideration. He received a two month sentence at Galway Court for theft on February 16 and another two-week sentence on February 10. He has also been fined and ordered to do 80 hours’ community service in the past for similar offences.
Judge Corcoran that while she had sympathy for the defendant and accepted he was being abused over his gambling debts, a concurrent one-month prison sentence was as low as she could go.
This article is funded by Comisiún na Meán.
