Bottled water stolen from pallets at back of Offaly supermarket
Tullamore District Court hears Portarlington thieves were stopped near Geashill with goods from Dunnes Stores
BOTTLED water was stolen from the back of Dunnes Stores in Tullamore last month, the local District Court heard.
Two women and a man pleaded guilty to the theft of 24 cases of water, valued at €102, from Dunnes Stores, Church Road on August 13 last.
Charges of handling the stolen water against Emanuela Covaci (31), Na Cluainte, Portarlington, Nicola Muntean (25), Lansdowne Road, Portarlington and Claudiu Muntean (30), Lansdowne Road, Portarlington at Raheen, Geashill on the same date were withdrawn.
Sergeant Brendan Kearns told the court the cases of water, which had been taken from a pallet at the rear of Dunnes Stores, were found when a car was stopped at Raheen.
Sergeant Kearns added that Mr Muntean had six previous convictions, all for road traffic offences.
Aisling Maloney, solicitor, who appeared for all three accused, said she had been instructed that the packaging was somewhat damaged and her clients may have thought it was going to the rubbish bin.
Some of the water was recovered, but not it all, and €100 compensation was being offered to Dunnes Stores.
Ms Maloney said Ms Covaci was a mother of two in receipt of social welfare and Ms Muntean was also a mother.
Mr Muntean worked in a Primark warehouse, earning€450 a week, and the car which was stopped was his.
The solicitor added that her clients had been at the McDonald's restaurant which backs onto Dunnes Stores.
“Wander into the back of Dunnes and pick up a few pallets of water,” responded Judge Andrew Cody.
“This is an opportunistic crime,” said Judge Cody, imposing fines of €200 each, with six months to pay.
He granted legal aid to the two women and said he would consider legal aid if payslips for Mr Muntean were handed in. This was later done by Ms Maloney.
(Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme)