Mayo man stole fishing boat to sail to America

A MAYO man who stole a fishing vessel from Westport Quay with the intention of sailing it to America was sentenced to one and a half years in jail.

Kevin Hastings (30) of Rosbeg Lodge, Rosbeg, Westport appeared before Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court where he was sentenced for the theft of a fishing vessel in May 2019 as well as the burglary of Colm Cosgrave's Garage in Westport, which was formerly owned by his father, in April 2020.

Mr Hastings had pleaded guilty to both offences and was due to be sentenced in February 2023 but failed to turn up for court and a bench warrant was issued for his arrest. The court heard he had worked as a chef in the Isle of Skye in Scotland and voluntarily returned back to Ireland last September after getting 'clean and sober'.

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He has been in custody since September where he also served a three month sentence for charges of trespassing and theft which dated back to 2018.

Detective Sergeant Pat Lavelle told the court that on May 19, 2019, Gardaí in Westport received a report at 6.45am of the theft of a fishing vessel ‘Aingeal na Mara’ from Westport Quay.

The Coast Guard was notified and the vessel was sighted west of Clare Island close to Bills Rocks and the Achill Island lifeboat was notified.

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The fishing vessel was apprehended six miles west of Bills Rocks and the defendant was the sole occupant on board. He was arrested at 11.40am and when interviewed he admitted stealing the boat and it was his intention to sail to America.

The fishing vessel was valued at €150,000 but no damage was caused to the boat. The cost of the launch of the lifeboat came to €361.36.

Detective Sgt Lavelle explained that Mr Hastings was unusually quiet when he was apprehended on the boat and this may have been down to a substance he had taken. He gave no reason for wanting to sail to America and Det Sgt Lavelle said that the boat was not capable of making it to America.

In relation to the burglary of Colm Cosgrave's Garage, Det Sgt Lavelle explained that the burglary took place on April 29, 2020 when entry was gained through a rear fire exit and offices were entered with drawers and presses thrown open. CCTV showed the incident at 3.15am and Mr Hastings was identified as the person responsible.

Mr Hastings was arrested the following day and when questioned he admitted the offence and claimed his motivation was to sit in his father's chair. Det Sgt Lavelle said monetary gain may also have been a motivation.

The court heard that Mr Hasting's father had previously owned the garage which is located on the old Castlebar Road in Westport. He had little recollection of what he did on the night but wished to apologise to Mr Cosgrove who is a friend of the family.

When questioned by Mr Brendan McDonagh, counsel for Mr Hastings, Det Sgt Lavelle said that the defendant has the full support of his parents who adopted him when he was a child but he has broken their heart over the years.

Judge Eoin Garavan was told that Mr Hastings had huge potential who was a talented rugby player in his youth and 'could have played for Ireland' but has significant mental health issues and has ‘self medicated’ with illegal drugs. He was also informed that Mr Hastings was a victim of sexual abuse when he was in boarding school which appeared to lead to alcohol and drug addictions.

Judge Eoin Garavan

The court was told that Mr Hastings has 17 previous convictions dating back to when he was 16 with the majority associated with drug use.

Mr McDonagh informed the court that his client has been admitted to the mental health hospital on a number of occasions. He added he has 'something of a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde element to his personality' in that when clean and sober he is as nice a man you could meet but his addictions creates difficulties.

The court was informed that Mr Hatings has had several engagements with addiction services that have not been successful.

He also revealed that Mr Hastings was also the victim of an assault in Dublin in July 2021 which was of a physical and sexual nature.

Mr McDonagh also revealed that his client made contact with his biological father in July 2019 which did not end well and his life ‘spiralled out of control’.

He added that Mr Hastings has apologised for his conduct and that he had panicked when he faced the prospect of going to jail in February. He said he has now been in custody since September and it has been the longest he has served in custody and is now ‘taking his medicine’.

Mr McDonagh asked Judge Garavan to structure a sentence to give Mr Hastings hope at the end of the tunnel.

Judge Garavan described the offences as bizarre but accepted that they were opportunistic and there was a high degree of recklessness involved. He also acknowledged the difficulties in Mr Hastings life to date and that his previous offences appear to be drug related and he was never violent.

He said the most stabilising factor in his life is his parents and he is a lucky man to have them and commented that he feels there is hope for him.

Judge Garavan said a prison sentence must be a reality of theft and burglary and sentenced Mr Hastings to two years for the burglary charge and one year for the theft of the boat which will run consecutively.

However he suspended 18 months of the two year sentence which reduced the total sentence to one year and six months and backdated it to September 26, 2024.

Judge Garavan also placed him under the supervision of the Probation Service for 18 months and ordered that engage with counselling services.

He told Mr Hastings that he is at the end of the line and hopes that upon his release he will be able to join Westport Rugby Club and give something back to the community and train young players.

“That is what you should be doing and giving something back and keeping young people off the trail you followed,” Judge Garavan commented.

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