Garda trainee dismissed after stealing wallet in Edenderry

A FORMER Garda trainee was before last Wednesday's sitting of Tullamore District Court charged with theft.

Dale Howard, Rahanine, Rochfortbridge, Westmeath pleaded guilty to committing the offence on February 2 last at 46, Boyne Meadows, Edenderry.

The 27 year old stole a Secrid wallet containing an Apple Airtag and a Tesla key.

Sergeant Brendan Kearns told the court that the defendant went out socialising with others. The next morning the injured party discovered that his wallet was missing.

Sergeant Kearns said the Apple Airtag pinged a number of times which told the injured party and the Gardaí where the Airtag with its wallet was located.

This took them to Mr Howard's house, where a search was made and the wallet found. The defendant had no previous convictions.

The defending solicitor said his client had an excellent Restorative Justice Report.

Judge Andrew Cody agreed. “It is so good that I am of a mind to strike the case out,” he remarked.

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The defending solicitor said his client's theft was “a moment of madness which he will regret for ever. He wrote an apology to the injured party.

"Only 26 years of age when the crime occurred, he was a Garda trainee at the time. He had always dreamed of being a Garda. It was a dream career for him. He had also made a number of good friends among his fellow Garda trainees. This moment of madness shattered all of that. He was dismissed from the force as a result.

"The next day, when he realised what he had done, he panicked; he didn't know what to do. He fully cooperated with the investigating Gardai. He couldn't have been more cooperative. He has engaged very positively with the Restorative Justice Programme taking part in clean up work, including clean up work in graveyards.

He admits that his action in stealing this wallet caused upset and he has €400 in court this morning by way of compensation.”

The solicitor added that his client is currently on social welfare and hadn't come to the attention of the Gardaí “before or since.”

Judge Cody said very high standards apply to Garda trainees and if they misbehave then the consequences are serious.

He applied the Probation Act.

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