Cork man put €580 drone down trousers and walked out of store without paying 

A €580 drone was put down inside a man’s trousers at an electrical store and he then walked out of the premises without offering payment for it.

John McDonagh of 1 Inchera Close, Mahon, Cork, pleaded guilty at Cork District Court to carrying out the theft. 

Judge Eamonn Carroll imposed a one-month prison sentence on him.

Sergeant Gearóid Davis said the accused had 160 previous convictions including two for burglary, one for making a gain by deception, one for possession of articles in connection with carrying out a theft, one for handling stolen property, and 87 for theft.

Shane Collins-Daly, solicitor, said the accused had been in custody serving a total sentence of 18-months in Portlaoise prison for other similar offences.

Mr Collins-Daly said the 36-year-old had completed three, six-week courses during his time in custody, namely for anger management, dealing with anxiety and coping with grief.

The solicitor said the accused was 11-months into his sentence and would have hoped that this matter could have been brought against him earlier so that it could have been taken into consideration with the sentence he was serving.

Sgt.Dineen said: “On June 7, 2025, at DID Electrical, retail park in Turner’s Cross he entered the premises and took a drone off the shelf and placed it down his pants. He left the store passing all points of payment without paying for the drone.

“The stolen property worth €580 was not recovered.” 

Judge Eamonn Carroll imposed a prison sentence of one month which will not increase the overall sentence of 18 months already being served by the accused.