Cork man jailed for 'nasty' hotel luggage theft

A man has been jailed for five months after visitors to a Cork hotel had luggage stolen from their car.

Stephen O’Sullivan, aged 38, of 30A Templeacre Avenue, Gurranabraher, Cork, was sentenced by Judge Mary Dorgan, who said it would have been a very upsetting incident for the visitors.

“It was a nasty offence,” Judge Dorgan said.

 “Obviously, someone staying in the Kingsley Hotel parked in the hotel car park and two of their bags were stolen — one containing clothing, the other containing personal items.”

Sergeant John Dineen said that shortly before 9pm on September 12, 2024, at the Kingsley Hotel, Carrigrohane Road, Cork, the defendant took a travel case from a car. It contained clothing valued at €360.

The same man returned to the vehicle a few minutes later and removed a shoulder bag containing electrical items, including a Dyson hair dryer, a hair straightener, and an electric toothbrush. 

The total value of the stolen property amounted to over €1,300, and was not recovered.

Sgt Dineen said Stephen O’Sullivan had 135 previous convictions, including 15 for theft.

Diarmuid Kelleher, solicitor, said: “Things started to go wrong for him at the age of 13 with the death of his father. He went off the rails, taking drugs and alcohol, eventually taking heroin at the age of 19.

“A harrowing addiction, people will steal to get the next heroin. He is on methadone now.

“I think this is the first time he has made an effort to get off this cursed cycle of taking drugs, stealing to get more, and ending up in custody.”