Cork court: Stealing a charity collection box is 'disgusting', sentencing judge said

Any theft is a low type of offence but stealing a charity collection box is “disgusting, absolutely disgusting”, a sentencing judge said at Cork District Court today.

Judge Miriam Walsh made that comment as she sentenced a man to four months in prison for his part in the theft and destruction of a charity collection box in a hospital.

The 42-year-old pleaded guilty to theft and criminal damage arising out of the incident at Cork University Hospital on March 17.

Trevor O’Donoghue, with an address at Eat Tokyo, Cricklewood Lane, Cricklewood, returned to Cork because a close relative is unwell, his solicitor Eddie Burke said, adding that the defendant did not come to Cork to commit such an offence.

The facts of the case were that on St Patrick’s Day at the Accident and Emergency Unit of Cork University Hospital, security officers reported the theft of a charity box and criminal damage to it.

The box was found damaged in a toilet at the hospital. CCTV showed the accused and another man and a woman in the toilet area where the charity box was found discarded.

Another man and a woman face charges in relation to the same case. Only Trevor O’Donoghue pleaded guilty to his part in the crime.