A GRIEVING father, who stole almost €12,000 worth of laptops from his employer in order to pay off a drug debt, has received 240 hours of community service in lieu of two and a half year jail sentence.
Keith Sheedy, (49), The Orchard, St Patrick’s Road, wept in court as details of his offending were disclosed.
Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard that Sheedy had sought treatment for his addictions for cocaine and alcohol, but he relapsed after two years while trying to cope with the death of his son and mother.
Judge Colin Daly said Sheedy was in the “throws of a significant addiction” when he stole twenty-two laptops from his then employer, the Education, Training and Welfare Board, Kilmallock Road, Limerick.”
Sheedy had been employed as a caretaker at the EWTB when he carried out the thefts on dates between October 24-November 11, 2022.
The theft was discovered when a member of staff noticed two of the computers were missing during a stock take.
The computers were traced to Sheedy after CCTV at the premises was checked. The CCTV footage showed Sheedy walking from the premises to his car with a black bag containing box shaped items.
Gardai were alerted and obtained a court warrant to search Sheedy’s home, however nothing was found there.
However, Sheedy eventually “came clean” and showed gardai two stolen computers, worth a combined €1,094, which he had put inside the boot of his car, said prosecuting barrister John O’Sullivan. The other twenty laptops were never recovered.
Mr O’Sullivan said Sheedy told gardai he had been in debt “due to an addiction to cocaine” and was selling the laptops to “pay off” a drugs “debt”.
Mr O’Sullivan said Sheedy “acknowledged it was a stupid thing to do, and he said he was embarrassed”.
Sheedy’s barrister, Eimear Carey, said that, at the time, Sheedy had been at a “low ebb” after a carpentry business he had previously established “went to the wall” due to his addiction to alcohol and cocaine.
Ms Carey said Sheedy had sought help for his addiction, attending at the Bushy Park treatment centre, and that he was “alcohol and drug free”.
Sheedy is estranged from his family and in a new relationship and new employment, Ms Carey told the court.
The defence barrister argued that Sheedy was from a hardworking, decent family, but that, following a number of “family tragedies” he had sank into a “nasty and severe drug addiction”.
“His addiction took over his life and he accepts it is not an excuse. It was a breach of trust and he took advantage of his employer.”
Ms Carey said Sheedy is struggling financially, but was offering to pay his employer €150per week to reimburse the cost of the stolen laptops.
Judge Daly noted the probation service had deemed Sheedy suitable for community service.
“He is in full-time employment and he came before the court on a signed plea, but he was in a position of trust and he broke that trust,” said the judge.
A headline sentence of five years was appropriate, the judge said, however he reduced this to two and half years.
The judge said he was imposing 240 hours community service in lieu of the two and half year sentence after taking in Sheedy’s early guilty plea, his remorse, that he has children he must provide for financially and his efforts to attain sobriety.
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