Sleepy passenger returned to bus and stole driver’s bag

A MAN who fell asleep on a bus and was accidentally locked on board left the vehicle only to return later to steal the driver’s bag.

James Herraghty, a carpenter, received a six-month jail sentence for the theft of the Bus Éireann driver’s bag which contained items valued at €615, including two car keys, house keys, a pair of headphones and cash.

At Skibbereen District Court, Judge James McNulty heard that on July 9 last at 11.18am the driver reported the theft of his bag at Market St in Skibbereen.

CCTV from the bus and elsewhere showed that Herraghty, of 4 Sycamore Heights in the town, had been sleeping on the bus but the driver, unaware he was still on the vehicle, had locked the bus and gone for his lunch.

The footage showed that Mr Herraghty woken up, opened the door and then went on a walk in Skibbereen.

However, 20 minutes later he returned to the vehicle, entered it, and took the bag.

He was later interviewed by gardaí, and on September 21 last he was charged with theft.

The stolen bag contained keys for a Toyota and a Volkswagen as well as house keys and headphones and some cash. It was not recovered.

Mr Herraghty, 28, who the court heard had lost his job just before Christmas but who is now beginning fresh employment, had six previous convictions, including two in the UK.

His solicitor, Colette McCarthy, said Mr Herraghty acknowledged he had an issue with alcohol and Judge McNulty said while that was central to this case, it did not excuse it.

The judge said he saw no commitment to any form of treatment by Mr Herraghty.

Ms McCarthy said the crime was “a moment of madness”, but the judge said: “He did get off the bus, toddled around and came back to it, by himself, on the bus and stole the bus driver’s bag.

“It’s a low crime. He knew what he was doing.”

Mr Herraghty had previously pleaded guilty and had provided €1,000 in compensation in court last October, with the judge indicating at that time that he would also be applying a fine of €1,000.

A probation report had been provided to court, which the judge described as “a non-event” and which Ms McCarthy said indicated “an unwillingness to engage”.

Ms McCarthy said work difficulties had affected her client’s efforts to raise the money for the fine in the period since but Judge McNulty said there was an enormous shortage of skilled tradesmen from West Cork to West Waterford and beyond.

He sentenced Mr Herraghty to six months in prison, rejecting a call for the sentence to be suspended.

Recognisance for appeal was lodged on Mr Herraghty’s own bond of €100.