A BARGAIN motocross bike cost a Limerick man more than he bargained for when he was jailed for handling stolen goods.
Micheal Fitzgerald (35), with an address at 1 Wellfield, Garryowen, Limerick, admitted before Limerick District Court having bought the motocross bike (worth around €15,000) for €4,900.
Judge Catherine Ryan was told that the bike had distinctive, unique parts which made it identifiable as the property of a professional motocross racer who had two bikes stolen from Dundrum, South Dublin, on November 22, 2023.
The court heard the victim watched out for advertisements and found his bike on an online website.
He went to the GardaÃ, who in turn went to an industrial estate at the address at which the bike was being sold.
When Gardaà encountered Mr Kennedy, he admitted having bought the bike for a low price, knowing it was worth more. He pleaded guilty to handling stolen property.
The original seller of the bike or the person who stole it have not yet been identified, the court heard.
Judge Kennedy heard that Mr Fitzgerald has 65 previous convictions and is currently serving a sentence which will expire in April 2029.
His solicitor said Mr Fitzgerald was “fully co-operative and entered a guilty plea at an early date”.
“He has worked all his life and comes from a hard-working family. He found himself in this situation due to pressures arising out of relationships.”
The judge sentenced him to a month in jail to run concurrently with the sentence he is now serving.
– Court Reporting Scheme