Man stole goods from Aldi in Cork because his children were visiting

A Polish man stole more than €100 worth of goods from a Cork supermarket because his children were coming to visit him, the district court has heard.

Court presenter, Sergeant Eimear O’Connell, told Macroom District Court that Krystian Zurek, aged 41, of Gurteen House, Bridgemount, Clondrohid, Co. Cork, went to the Aldi supermarket in Macroom on March 19, 2025.

The court heard that at 3.30pm Zurek was observed on CCTV taking items that were in his shopping trolley and placing them in a rucksack. 

Zurek went to the checkout and paid for items valued at €23 but left the store with other items in his rucksack valued at €113.30 which he did not pay for.

The court was told that Zurek had two previous convictions, one for possession of drugs and one for the possession of a flick-knife. 

Defence solicitor, Sean Cahill, said Zurek took the items because he did not have enough money to pay for them and his children were coming to visit him from Poland.

The court was told Zurek made full admissions and was not working but was in receipt of disability allowance. Mr Cahill said Zurek was fully co-operative and had no previous convictions for theft and had brought compensation to court to the value of the stolen items.

Judge Joanne Carroll convicted Zurek of theft contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Theft and Fraud Offences Act, 2001 and sentenced him to two months in prison suspended for 12 months.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme.