Andrew Carey
andrew@limerickpost.ie
A man who admitted stealing two sausage rolls has been jailed for nine months at Limerick District Court after he pleaded guilty to a number of other offences.
Dermot Calvert (21) of Fairview Crescent, Garryowen pleaded guilty to the theft of the sausage rolls and a bottle of moisturiser with a total value of €4.35 from Dunnes Stores on May 23 last year.
The defendant, who has 53 previous convictions told Judge Aeneas McCarthy that he had no memory of the incident as he was addicted to prescription tablets and used them “as a crutch in life”.
Sgt Donal Cronin said that Calvert was also before the court on charges of trespassing at the rear of house owned by an elderly man in June of last year and of having a filed down car key used for the theft of vehicles on August 17.
Charges of trespassing and burglary, which Calvert had been remanded in custody on since last September, were struck out after the prosecution applied to withdraw the charges.
The court heard that Calvert came from a family of 15 but three of his siblings had died from cystic fibrosis and his previous offending began in when he “unsupervised” during his early teens. He has  previous convictions for theft, causing criminal damage, assault, trespass and failing to appear in court.
Defending solicitor Tom Kiely said his client had a troubled background and that three of his siblings had died previously. Since being remanded in custody, he had come off tablets and was determined to make better start in life.
Imposting a total of nine months imprisonment for the offences,Judge McCarthy back dated the jail term to when he was first remanded in custody last September.
In the event of an appeal, Judge McCarthy set recognisance at €600, one third of which was to be lodged to secure bail.
