A TWENTY-two-year-old man who stole a €1.50 cigarette lighter from a filling station in Westport was fined €200 at last week’s sitting of Castlebar Circuit Court.
Stephen Collins of 6 McBride Terrace, Leenane Road, Westport pleaded guilty to the offence which took place on September 3, 2011 at the Maxol Filling Station on the Newport Road, Westport.
The incident first appeared before the District Court last December where the DPP had directed for summary disposal but Mr Collins opted to be prosecuted before the Circuit Court instead. He appeared before the Circuit Court last May when a jury was empanelled to trial him before he changed his plea two days later.
Commenting on Mr Collins choosing to be trialled in the Circuit Court, Judge Thomas E O’Donnell said that the way the law was structured anybody charged with theft had ‘the absolute right to be trialled before a judge and jury be it for five cent or €50,000’. He added that it was his strong view that he should not have come before the Circuit Court but must respect Mr Collins’ entitlements.
Sergeant Denis Harrington explained that Mr Collins was at the check-out of the filling station when he put the lighter in his pocket and the incident was captured on CCTV.
Mr Collins’ previous convictions included a nine month prison sentence in 2010 for threatening to kill and another incident for allowing himself to be driven in a stolen car which was partly suspended.
Mr Patrick Reynolds, BL for the State told the court there were two counts before the court and a nolle prosequi was entered to one of the charges.
Mr Eoin Garavan, BL for Mr Collins said his client had denied the second offence but admitted his guilt to the theft of the lighter. He said he was not being ‘smart’ by electing to be trialled in the Circuit Court and felt he was vindicated when the nolle prosequi was entered for the offence he claimed he did not commit.
Mr Collins, he commented, grew up in difficult circumstances and was forced to take on a father role to his younger siblings following the death of his father. He said he neglected himself and ended up in Dublin involved in drink and drugs but was not getting help.
