Stolen items were sticking out of car boot, court is told
The case was heard at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
A Sligo man who was found with stolen property sticking out of the boot of his car has been sent to prison.
John Ward, aged 27, of 5 New Glenview Park, Ash Lane, Sligo, pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court to possessing stolen property and articles used in a burglary.
Gda Pat O’Malley told the court that he was on duty with Gda Pat Harte in Ballina in the early hours of November 22, 2019, when they stopped a Vauxhall Zafira on McDermott Street after noticing it was in a poor state of repair and its rear windows were painted black. There were four occupants in the vehicle.
They spoke to the driver, John Ward, who seemed anxious. Gda O’Malley noticed items such as gloves, a saw, bolt cutters, and a funnel in the car. There was a strong smell of diesel and a large amount of cable sticking out of the boot.
Without being asked by the Gardaí, the four occupants left the vehicle and tried to flee. The Gardaí apprehended three of the men but the defendant, who had exited the vehicle through the passenger door, escaped on foot.
The next morning, Gardaí received a report from Des Healy of Knockanillaun, Ballina that his compound had been broken into and several items taken, including two rolls of copper wire valued at €6,000, a 25-litre drum of diesel and a can of lubricating oil. All of the items were recovered from the Zafira. The total value of the goods was €6,300.
John Ward was later identified and arrested on September 24, 2020, in relation to these offences. Two of his accomplices, who are all from Sligo, have already appeared in court with one receiving an 18-month suspended prison sentence.
Ward has 75 previous convictions, including 41 for theft and fraud.
Barrister Brendan McDonagh said 30 of his client's theft and fraud offences occurred when he was a minor. Mr McDoangh said Ward is a father of four who suffers from addiction issues. The property was all recovered and Mr Healy suffered no serious financial loss.
The defendant’s wife Rosanna Ward told the court that her husband went down "a wrong road" four years ago but now wants to be a proper dad and a proper husband. She said she had been in contact with addiction services on his behalf and pleaded with Judge Eoin Garavan to "help her continue to help her husband".
Judge Garavan said it was an aggravating factor that Ward escaped from the gardaí on the night of the incident and also had to be served with two bench warrants before he appeared in court.
The judge described the operation as "amateur", with stolen items sticking out of the boot of the car, but said it was also "badly intentioned". He was not satisfied that Ward's addiction issues had anything to do with the incident and said the defendant was doing nothing to address these issues.
“I have no confidence he will do anything about them,” he said.
Judge Garavan imposed a two-year custodial sentence.
