Card used to withdraw cash from Offaly bank was in stolen bag

A SUSPENDED sentence of three months was imposed on a man who was one of three individuals involved in the theft of a handbag and use of a bank card stolen from it.

Nikolas Holub, Church Hill, Tullamore, appeared at Tullamore District Court having pleaded guilty to the theft of a woman's handbag at the Bridge Centre car park on April 29, 2022.

Mr Holub also admitted stealing €400 at Ulster Bank, High Street, and €200 at Applegreen, Main Street.

The accused's solicitor, Patrick Martin, told Judge Andrew Cody that two co-accused in the prosecution had already been dealt with by the court.

Since then his client had to go to the UK because an uncle of his was ill and he had come back to deal with a bench warrant by appointment.

Sergeant Richard Thornton said the offence had been committed when a handbag and its contents were stolen and a card in it was used to withdraw hundreds of euros.

Sergeant Thornton said Mr Holub had 19 previous convictions, including convictions for theft, possession of drugs and road traffic offences.

On one occasion he had been ordered to complete 60 hours of community service and on another he had received a three-month suspended sentence. The offences dated back to 2016.

Judge Cody heard the injured party had been compensated.

Mr Martin said his client was prepared to pay further money and he was starting work the following week.

The solicitor described Mr Holub as a man who had an issue with cannabis and added that the suspended sentence was after the incident now before the court.

Mr Martin said the accused had made admissions and pleaded guilty very early in relation to the offence on April 29, 2022 and he described it as an opportunistic act.

The wallet had been left in a trolley in Dunnes Stores. A single man with one child, Mr Holub apologised for what he had done.

Judge Cody ordered that a payment of €400 be made to the Acorn Project in Edenderry, in addition to €500 for the court poor box. He also imposed the three-month suspended sentence.

The men previously convicted of the same offence were Andris Kuka, High Street, Tullamore and Frantisek Ziga, Jackson Hill, Tullamore.

Earlier this year the District Court was told Mr Kuka was a father of three who had previous convictions for drugs and public order offences.

The court heard he paid compensation to the injured party and he wished to have an opportunity to take up employment.

He received a suspended sentence for the theft at the Bridge Centre and was also ordered to pay money to charity.

Mr Ziga, a man who had done a course in a training centre, had previous convictions for driving without insurance and had been disqualified from driving in 2023.

Like Mr Kuka, he paid compensation to the injured party, the woman who owned the stolen handbag.

Mr Ziga, who was said to have been very embarrassed by the theft offence, also received a suspended sentence and was ordered to pay a fine.