Shop owner caught selling cigarettes and alcohol jailed for one year

Niamh O’Donoghue

A shop owner has been jailed for a year for selling Romanian cigarettes and alcohol in his store to compete with other stores, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard.

Radu Budai (40) of Moy Glas Road, Lucan, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to revenue offences at his shop on Upper Dorset Street on March 7th, 2023.

Revenue officer Marie Treacy told the court Budai owned a Romanian store and committed the offences to compete with other shops.

She told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that Revenue officers carrying out an investigation entered the shop in Upper Dorset Street, Dublin and met with a woman working there.

The woman showed officers a Romanian identity card and said she would call the owner.

During the search officers found bottles of wine with no Irish tax stamps on them and cautioned the female and conducted an interview with her.

They also found boxes of brandy and wine as well as homemade alcohol in large plastic containers, the court was told.

Budai arrived while the search was continuing, but when he was questioned the court heard nothing of evidential value came of that interview.

Under cross-examination, Officer Treacy agreed with Simon Matthews BL, defending, that all the goods were seized.

In mitigation, Mr Matthews told the court Budai was “trying to compete with other big shops” selling the same type of produce.

Mr Matthews said Budai came to Ireland in 2007 and has a wife and two children. He said Budai is coming to and from Romania caring for his sick father. Counsel said his client is not working in the store since the investigation.

Mr Matthews said his client struggles with health issues having had a gastric balloon surgery and he also has sleep apnoea.

He said Budai was “trying to stay competitive with rival shops”. He asked the court to take account that Budai is a family man, his early plea in district court, that he has health difficulties and is of assistance to his father. Mr Matthews also said the goods were seized and it was a “stupid decision".

Judge Martin Nolan said he had no doubt Budai was a good family man but was doing this to make a profit.

Judge Nolan noted that Revenue lost €27,000 in all from the sale of cigarettes and alcohol. The judge noted Budai was cooperative but said he deserved a custodial term before jailing him for a year.