Man with 97 convictions robbed Ballina café truck
The defendant pleaded guilty to the charges.
A 50-year-old man who broke into a café truck in Ballina has been in and out of prison since he was 13, a court has heard.
Stephen Wilson, of no fixed abode, appeared before Castlebar District Court via video link from Cloverhill Prison in Dublin where he is currently serving a sentence. He entered a plea of guilty to a charge of theft and attempting to commit burglary.
The court heard he has amassed 97 previous convictions, including burglary, possession of drugs for sale or supply, possession of stolen goods, car theft, assault, as well numerous public order offences.
Garda Inspector Thomasina McHale said the latest charges related to a break-in at Tuffy’s Café Truck on the Foxford Road in Ballina on the afternoon of November 29, 2024, where the defendant stole €275 from the till. He also attempted to break into Tuffy’s Gala premises but was prevented from doing so. The two incidents were captured on CCTV.
Patrick O’Sullivan BL said his client has had a tough life and has effectively been in and out of prison since he was aged 13 with some of his previous convictions going back to 1989. A serious drug addiction problem, including addiction to heroin, had also been a major factor in Wilson spending a large part of his life in jail.
The defendant then addressed Judge Sandra Murphy and claimed nothing had been done to help him in his rehabilitation efforts. He has been engaging with various courses run at the prison.
Judge Murphy said rehabilitation is something she would address when deciding on what sanctions she imposes. She adjourned the case to May 19 to see if the injured party wishes to make a victim impact statement while she also sought an up-to-date probation report in relation to the defendant’s extensive list of previous convictions and what progress, if any, he is making.
- Published as part of the Courts Reporting Scheme.
