Man who stole from Cork business will have to pay back €100 a week until the end of the decade

A 33-year-old man who stole over €53,000 worth of cable from his former employer’s business premises in Tivoli will be paying it back at €100 a week until the end of the decade.

It was calculated that Patrick Barrett with an address at 22 An Sruthán, Cúlard, Carrigtwohill, County Cork, would be repaying what he stole for the next eight years and eight months.

He stole over €53,000 worth of cable and has repaid around €16,000 so far.

Donal O’Sullivan defence barrister said, “It will take eight years and eight months but he will pay it back. He has no previous convictions.” 

The cable was stolen between April and September 2018.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said, “This was the theft of cabling from his employer. Initially a lump sum was paid back. It will take a long time to discharge. He has not come to attention since.” 

The judge imposed a sentence of 18 months suspended on condition that he continues to make the weekly €100 payments.

The defendant appeared at Cork Circuit Criminal Court where he faced a number of sample charges to which he pleaded guilty.

The first charge stated that on an unknown date between April 1 and September 30, 2018 at Minteq Europe Ltd, Tivoli industrial estate, Tivoli, he did dishonestly appropriate property, namely part of 120SQ earth cable valued at €1,124, without the consent of its owner with the intention of depriving him of the property. 

Patrick Barrett pleaded guilty to that count and to similar counts referring to the theft of €4,600 worth of cable during the period July 27 to July 30, 2018, and €4,869 worth of cable from July 9 to September 30 2018.

The last two counts referred to theft of an Apple iPhone 6S valued approximately €500 and a Dell Latitude laptop valued at approximately €500 on dates unknown between September 28 and September 30,2018 and he again he replied, guilty, to those charges also.